1
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Khwaza V, Aderibigbe BA. Potential Pharmacological Properties of Triterpene Derivatives of Ursolic Acid. Molecules 2024; 29:3884. [PMID: 39202963 PMCID: PMC11356970 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29163884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2024] [Revised: 08/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Ursolic acid (UA) and its derivatives have garnered significant attention due to their extensive pharmacological activity. UA is a pentacyclic triterpenoid found in a variety of plants, such as apples, rosemary, thyme, etc., and it possesses a range of pharmacological properties. Researchers have synthesized various derivatives of UA through structural modifications to enhance its potential pharmacological properties. Various in vitro and in vivo studies have indicated that UA and its derivatives possess diverse biological activities, such as anticancer, antifungal, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. This review article provides a review of the biological activities of UA and its derivatives to show their valuable therapeutic properties useful in the treatment of different diseases, mainly focusing on the relevant structure-activity relationships (SARs), the underlying molecular targets/pathways, and modes of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vuyolwethu Khwaza
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fort Hare, Alice Campus, Alice 5700, Eastern Cape, South Africa
| | - Blessing A. Aderibigbe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fort Hare, Alice Campus, Alice 5700, Eastern Cape, South Africa
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2
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Ursolic Acid Analogs as Potential Therapeutics for Cancer. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27248981. [PMID: 36558113 PMCID: PMC9785537 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27248981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Ursolic acid (UA) is a pentacyclic triterpene isolated from a large variety of vegetables, fruits and many traditional medicinal plants. It is a structural isomer of Oleanolic Acid. The medicinal application of UA has been explored extensively over the last two decades. The diverse pharmacological properties of UA include anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-proliferative, etc. Especially, UA holds a promising position, potentially, as a cancer preventive and therapeutic agent due to its relatively non-toxic properties against normal cells but its antioxidant and antiproliferative activities against cancer cells. Cell culture studies have shown interference of UA with multiple pharmacological and molecular targets that play a critical role in many cells signaling pathways. Although UA is considered a privileged natural product, its clinical applications are limited due to its low absorption through the gastro-intestinal track and rapid elimination. The low bioavailability of UA limits its use as a therapeutic drug. To overcome these drawbacks and utilize the importance of the scaffold, many researchers have been engaged in designing and developing synthetic analogs of UA via structural modifications. This present review summarizes the synthetic UA analogs and their cytotoxic antiproliferative properties reported in the last two decades.
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Kornel A, Nadile M, Tsiani E. Evidence of the Beneficial Effects of Ursolic Acid against Lung Cancer. Molecules 2022; 27:7466. [PMID: 36364289 PMCID: PMC9655894 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27217466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Despite current treatment approaches that include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapies, lung cancer accounted for 1.79 million deaths worldwide in 2020, emphasizing the urgent need to find novel agents and approaches for more effective treatment. Traditionally, chemicals derived from plants, such as paclitaxel and docetaxel, have been used in cancer treatment, and in recent years, research has focused on finding other plant-derived chemicals that can be used in the fight against lung cancer. Ursolic acid is a polyphenol found in high concentrations in cranberries and other fruits and has been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer properties. In this review, we summarize recent research examining the effects of ursolic acid and its derivatives on lung cancer. Data from in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal studies show potent anticancer effects of ursolic acid and indicate the need for clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Kornel
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Matteo Nadile
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Evangelia Tsiani
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
- Centre for Bone and Muscle Health, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
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4
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Wang WY, Yang ZH, Li AL, Liu QS, Sun Y, Gu W. Design, synthesis, anticancer activity and mechanism studies of novel 2-amino-4-aryl-pyrimidine derivatives of ursolic acid. NEW J CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d1nj05294b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
A series of novel 2-amino-4-aryl-pyrimidine derivatives of ursolic acid were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their anticancer activities against four cancer cell lines (MCF-7, HeLa, HepG2, and A549) and a human hepatocyte cell line (LO2) via MTT assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Yan Wang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, P. R. China
| | - Zi-Hui Yang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, P. R. China
| | - A-Liang Li
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, P. R. China
| | - Qing-Song Liu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, P. R. China
| | - Yue Sun
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, P. R. China
| | - Wen Gu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, P. R. China
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5
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Meng RY, Jin H, Nguyen TV, Chai OH, Park BH, Kim SM. Ursolic Acid Accelerates Paclitaxel-Induced Cell Death in Esophageal Cancer Cells by Suppressing Akt/FOXM1 Signaling Cascade. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11486. [PMID: 34768915 PMCID: PMC8584129 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Ursolic acid (UA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid extracted from various plants, inhibits cell growth, metastasis, and tumorigenesis in various cancers. Chemotherapy resistance and the side effects of paclitaxel (PTX), a traditional chemotherapy reagent, have limited the curative effect of PTX in esophageal cancer. In this study, we investigate whether UA promotes the anti-tumor effect of PTX and explore the underlying mechanism of their combined effect in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Combination treatment with UA and PTX inhibited cell proliferation and cell growth more effectively than either treatment alone by inducing more significant apoptosis, as indicated by increased sub-G1 phase distribution and protein levels of cleaved-PARP and cleaved caspase-9. Similar to the cell growth suppressive effect, the combination of UA and PTX significantly inhibited cell migration by targeting uPA, MMP-9, and E-cadherin in ESCC cells. In addition, combination treatment with UA and PTX significantly activated p-GSK-3β and suppressed the activation of Akt and FOXM1 in ESCC cells. Those effects were enhanced by the Akt inhibitor LY2940002 and inverted by the Akt agonist SC79. In an in vivo evaluation of a murine xenograft model of esophageal cancer, combination treatment with UA and PTX suppressed tumor growth significantly better than UA or PTX treatment alone. Thus, UA effectively potentiates the anti-tumor efficacy of PTX by targeting the Akt/FOXM1 cascade since combination treatment shows significantly more anti-tumor potential than PTX alone both in vitro and in vivo. Combination treatment with UA and PTX could be a new strategy for curing esophageal cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruo Yu Meng
- Department of Physiology, Institute for Medical Sciences, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju 54907, Korea;
| | - Hua Jin
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
| | - Thi Van Nguyen
- Department of Anatomy, Institute for Medical Sciences, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju 54907, Korea; (T.V.N.); (O.-H.C.)
| | - Ok-Hee Chai
- Department of Anatomy, Institute for Medical Sciences, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju 54907, Korea; (T.V.N.); (O.-H.C.)
| | - Byung-Hyun Park
- Department of Biochemistry, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju 54907, Korea;
| | - Soo Mi Kim
- Department of Physiology, Institute for Medical Sciences, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju 54907, Korea;
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Popov SA, Wang C, Qi Z, Shults EE, Turks M. Synthesis of water-soluble ester-linked ursolic acid–gallic acid hybrids with various hydrolytic stabilities. SYNTHETIC COMMUN 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/00397911.2021.1939057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sergey A. Popov
- Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Chengzhang Wang
- Chinese Academy of Forestry, Institute of Chemical Industry of Forest Products, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhiwen Qi
- Chinese Academy of Forestry, Institute of Chemical Industry of Forest Products, Nanjing, China
| | | | - Māris Turks
- Institute of Technology of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Materials Science and Applied Chemistry, Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia
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7
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Wang L, Yin Q, Liu C, Tang Y, Sun C, Zhuang J. Nanoformulations of Ursolic Acid: A Modern Natural Anticancer Molecule. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:706121. [PMID: 34295253 PMCID: PMC8289884 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.706121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Ursolic acid (UA) is a natural pentacyclic triterpene derived from fruit, herb, and other plants. UA can act on molecular targets of various signaling pathways, inhibit the growth of cancer cells, promote cycle stagnation, and induce apoptosis, thereby exerting anticancer activity. However, its poor water-solubility, low intestinal mucosal absorption, and low bioavailability restrict its clinical application. In order to overcome these deficiencies, nanotechnology, has been applied to the pharmacological study of UA. Objective: In this review, we focused on the absorption, distribution, and elimination pharmacokinetics of UA in vivo, as well as on the research progress in various UA nanoformulations, in the hope of providing reference information for the research on the anticancer activity of UA. Methods: Relevant research articles on Pubmed and Web of Science in recent years were searched selectively by using the keywords and subheadings, and were summarized systematically. Key finding: The improvement of the antitumor ability of the UA nanoformulations is mainly due to the improvement of the bioavailability and the enhancement of the targeting ability of the UA molecules. UA nanoformulations can even be combined with computational imaging technology for monitoring or diagnosis. Conclusion: Currently, a variety of UA nanoformulations, such as micelles, liposomes, and nanoparticles, which can increase the solubility and bioactivity of UA, while promoting the accumulation of UA in tumor tissues, have been prepared. Although the research of UA in the nanofield has made great progress, there is still a long way to go before the clinical application of UA nanoformulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longyun Wang
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Qianqian Yin
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Cun Liu
- College of First Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Ying Tang
- Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Changgang Sun
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang, China.,Qingdao Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qingdao, China
| | - Jing Zhuang
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang, China
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8
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Wang WY, Wu WY, Li AL, Liu QS, Sun Y, Gu W. Synthesis, anticancer evaluation and mechanism studies of novel indolequinone derivatives of ursolic acid. Bioorg Chem 2021; 109:104705. [PMID: 33618252 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.104705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
A series of novel indolequinone derivatives of ursolic acid bearing ester, hydrazide, or amide moieties were designed, synthesized, and screened for their in vitro antiproliferative activities against three cancer cell lines (MCF-7, HeLa, and HepG2) and a normal gastric mucosal cell line (Ges-1). A number of compounds showed significant activity against tested cancer cell lines. Among them, compound 6t exhibited the most potent activity against three cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 1.66 ± 0.21, 3.16 ± 0.24, and 10.35 ± 1.63 µM, respectively, and considerably lower cytotoxicity to Ges-1 cells. Especially, compound 6t could arrest cell cycle at S phase, suppress the migration of MCF-7 cells, elevate intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, and decrease mitochondrial membrane potential. Western blot analysis showed that compound 6t upregulated Bax, cleaved caspase-3/9, cleaved PARP levels and downregulated Bcl-2 level of MCF-7 cells. All these results indicated that compound 6t could significantly induce the apoptosis of MCF-7 cells. Meanwhile, compound 6t markedly decreased p-AKT and p-mTOR expression, which revealed that compound 6t probably exerted its cytotoxicity through targeting PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Therefore, compound 6t could be a promising lead for the discovery of novel anticancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Yan Wang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, PR China
| | - Wen-Yi Wu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, PR China
| | - A-Liang Li
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, PR China
| | - Qing-Song Liu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, PR China
| | - Yue Sun
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, PR China
| | - Wen Gu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, PR China.
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9
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Wang XH, Wang HY, Wang JZ, Zhang M, Chen XQ, Zhao FL, Meng QG. The crystal structure of 3-oxo-urs-12-en-28-oic acid, C 30H 46O 3·1/6H 2O. Z KRIST-NEW CRYST ST 2021. [DOI: 10.1515/ncrs-2020-0423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
C30H46O3·1/6H2O, monoclinic, C2 (no. 5), a = 29.4307(4) Å, b = 15.42797(17) Å, c = 18.4667(2) Å, β = 104.4652(12)°, V = 8119.11(17) Å3, Z = 12, R
gt(F) = 0.0432, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1197, T = 293(2) K.
CCDC no.: 2016692
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Hui Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University), Ministry of Education, Yantai University , Yantai , P. R. China
| | - Hui-yun Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Jining Medical University , Rizhao , 276826 , P. R. China
| | - Jia-Zhen Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University), Ministry of Education, Yantai University , Yantai , P. R. China
| | - Mei Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University), Ministry of Education, Yantai University , Yantai , P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Qian Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University), Ministry of Education, Yantai University , Yantai , P. R. China
| | - Feng-Lan Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University), Ministry of Education, Yantai University , Yantai , P. R. China
| | - Qing-Guo Meng
- School of Pharmacy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University), Ministry of Education, Yantai University , Yantai , P. R. China
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10
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Liu G, Li J, Shi L, Liu M, Cai B. Advances in the Study of Structural Modification and Biological Activities of Ursolic Acid. CHINESE J ORG CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.6023/cjoc202102032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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11
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Sun Q, He M, Zhang M, Zeng S, Chen L, Zhou L, Xu H. Ursolic acid: A systematic review of its pharmacology, toxicity and rethink on its pharmacokinetics based on PK-PD model. Fitoterapia 2020; 147:104735. [PMID: 33010369 DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2020.104735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Ursolic acid (UA) is a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid compound existing in various traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, and it possesses diverse pharmacological actions and some undesirable adverse effects, even toxicological activities. Due to UA's low solubility and poor bioavailability, and its interaction with gut microbiota after oral administration, the pharmacokinetics of UA remain elusive, leading to obscurity in the pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics (PK-PD) profile and relationship for UA. Based on literatures from PubMed, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Web of Science and Wiley Online Library, with keywords of "pharmacology", "toxicology", "pharmacokinetics", "PK-PD" and "ursolic acid", herein we systematically review the pharmacology and toxicity of UA, and rethink on its pharmacokinetics on the basis of PK-PD model, and seek to delineate the underlying mechanisms for the characteristics of pharmacology and toxicology of UA, and for the pharmacokinetic features of UA particularly from the organ tropism and the interactions between UA and gut microbiota, and lay a solid foundation for development of UA-derived therapeutic agents in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Sun
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Man He
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Sha Zeng
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Lijuan Zhou
- Sichuan Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Haibo Xu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China.
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12
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Khwaza V, Oyedeji OO, Aderibigbe BA. Ursolic Acid-Based Derivatives as Potential Anti-Cancer Agents: An Update. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E5920. [PMID: 32824664 PMCID: PMC7460570 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21165920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ursolic acid is a pharmacologically active pentacyclic triterpenoid derived from medicinal plants, fruit, and vegetables. The pharmacological activities of ursolic acid have been extensively studied over the past few years and various reports have revealed that ursolic acid has multiple biological activities, which include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, etc. In terms of cancer treatment, ursolic acid interacts with a number of molecular targets that play an essential role in many cell signaling pathways. It suppresses transformation, inhibits proliferation, and induces apoptosis of tumor cells. Although ursolic acid has many benefits, its therapeutic applications in clinical medicine are limited by its poor bioavailability and absorption. To overcome such disadvantages, researchers around the globe have designed and developed synthetic ursolic acid derivatives with enhanced therapeutic effects by structurally modifying the parent skeleton of ursolic acid. These structurally modified compounds display enhanced therapeutic effects when compared to ursolic acid. This present review summarizes various synthesized derivatives of ursolic acid with anti-cancer activity which were reported from 2015 to date.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Blessing A. Aderibigbe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fort Hare, Alice Campus, Alice 5700, Eastern Cape, South Africa; (V.K.); (O.O.O.)
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13
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Meng YQ, Xu CD, Yu TT, Li W, Li QW, Li XX. Synthesis and antitumor activity evaluation of ursolic acid derivatives. JOURNAL OF ASIAN NATURAL PRODUCTS RESEARCH 2020; 22:359-369. [PMID: 30829054 DOI: 10.1080/10286020.2019.1571488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Eighteen uronic acid derivatives were designed and synthesized, and the cytotoxicities in vitro of two cancer cell lines (BEL7402 and SGC7901) were evaluated by MTT assay. The results showed that the inhibitory rate of the compounds on both cell lines was significantly higher than the parent compound. The IC50 of compounds II4, II6, III4, and III6 are comparable or stronger than the positive control drug, the interactions between compounds II4, II6, III4, III6, and NF-κB were also studied by docking simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Qiu Meng
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang University of Chemical Technology, Shenyang 110142, China
| | - Chuan-Dong Xu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang University of Chemical Technology, Shenyang 110142, China
| | - Ting-Ting Yu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang University of Chemical Technology, Shenyang 110142, China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang University of Chemical Technology, Shenyang 110142, China
| | - Qian-Wen Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang University of Chemical Technology, Shenyang 110142, China
| | - Xiao-Xiao Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang University of Chemical Technology, Shenyang 110142, China
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14
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Huang RZ, Liang GB, Li MS, Fang YL, Zhao SF, Zhou MM, Liao ZX, Sun J, Wang HS. Synthesis and discovery of asiatic acid based 1,2,3-triazole derivatives as antitumor agents blocking NF-κB activation and cell migration. MEDCHEMCOMM 2019; 10:584-597. [PMID: 31057738 DOI: 10.1039/c8md00620b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
A series of asiatic acid (AA) based 1,2,3-triazole derivatives were designed, synthesized and subjected to a cell-based NF-κB inhibition screening assay. Among the tested compounds, compound 6k displayed impressive NF-κB inhibitory activity with an IC50 value in the low micromolar range. A molecular docking study was performed to reveal key interactions between 6k and NF-κB in which the 1,2,3-triazole moiety and the hydroxyl groups of the AA skeleton were important for improving the inhibitory activity. Subsequently, surface plasmon resonance analysis validated the high affinity between compound 6k and NF-κB protein with an equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) value of 0.36 μM. Further studies showed that compound 6k observably inhibited the NF-κB DNA binding, nuclear translocation and IκBα phosphorylation. Moreover, in vitro antitumor activity screening showed that compound 6k (IC50 = 2.67 ± 0.06 μM) exhibited the best anticancer activity against A549 cells, at least partly, by inhibition of the activity of NF-κB. Additionally, the treatment of A549 cells with compound 6k resulted in apoptosis induction potency and in vitro cell migration inhibition. Thus, we conclude that AA based 1,2,3-triazole derivatives may be potential NF-κB inhibitors with the ability to induce apoptosis and suppress cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ri-Zhen Huang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering , School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Southeast University , Nanjing 211189 , P.R. China . .,Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research , Southeast University , Nanjing 211189 , P.R. China
| | - Gui-Bin Liang
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources , School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Guangxi Normal University , No. 15 Yucai Road , Guilin 541004 , P. R. China .
| | - Mei-Shan Li
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources , School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Guangxi Normal University , No. 15 Yucai Road , Guilin 541004 , P. R. China .
| | - Yi-Lin Fang
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources , School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Guangxi Normal University , No. 15 Yucai Road , Guilin 541004 , P. R. China .
| | - Shi-Feng Zhao
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering , School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Southeast University , Nanjing 211189 , P.R. China .
| | - Mei-Mei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources , School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Guangxi Normal University , No. 15 Yucai Road , Guilin 541004 , P. R. China .
| | - Zhi-Xin Liao
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering , School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Southeast University , Nanjing 211189 , P.R. China . .,Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research , Southeast University , Nanjing 211189 , P.R. China
| | - Jing Sun
- Chinese Academy of Sciences , Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology , Qinghai Key Laboratory of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Biological Resources , Xining , 810000 , P.R. China .
| | - Heng-Shan Wang
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources , School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Guangxi Normal University , No. 15 Yucai Road , Guilin 541004 , P. R. China .
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15
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Wang X, Wang T, Yi F, Duan C, Wang Q, He N, Zhu L, Li Q, Deng W. Ursolic Acid Inhibits Tumor Growth via Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Colorectal Cancer Cells. Biol Pharm Bull 2019; 42:685-691. [PMID: 31061311 DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b18-00613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Ursolic acid (UA), a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, is a promising compound for cancer prevention and therapy. However, its mechanisms of action have not been well elucidated in colorectal cancer cells. Here, using cultured human colon cancer cell lines SW620 and HCT116, this assay demonstrates that UA reduces cell viability, inhibits cell clone formation, and induces caspase-3 mediated apoptosis. Additional experiments show that UA inhibits cell migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), including E-cadherin, Vimentin, Integrin, Twist, and Zeb1 biomakers. These results suggest that UA inhibits cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis in colorectal cancer cells by affecting mechanisms that regulate EMT. Taken together, the results suggested that the anti-proliferation and anti-metastasis activities of UA was through EMT inhibition in colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianmin Wang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital affiliated Xinjiang Medical University
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
| | - Fan Yi
- Department of Digestive Diseases, Urumqi Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
| | - Chunyan Duan
- Oncology Department I of Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital affiliated Xinjiang Medical University
| | - Qiaoling Wang
- Oncology Department I of Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital affiliated Xinjiang Medical University
| | - Nana He
- Oncology Department I of Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital affiliated Xinjiang Medical University
| | - Lei Zhu
- Department of Internal Medicine IV, Changji Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Xinjiang
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
| | - Wanli Deng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Oncology Department I of Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital affiliated Xinjiang Medical University
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16
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Glycyrrhetinic acid derivatives containing aminophosphonate ester species as multidrug resistance reversers that block the NF-κB pathway and cell proliferation. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018; 28:3700-3707. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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