Anti-tumor and anti-carcinogenic activities of triterpenoid, beta-boswellic acid.
Boswellin (BE), a methanol extract of the gum resin exudate of Boswellia serrata, contains naturally occurring triterpenoids, beta-boswellic acid and its structural related derivatives, has been used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of inflammatory and arthritic diseases. Topical application of BE to the backs of mice markedly inhibited 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced increases in skin inflammation, epidermal proliferation, the number of epidermal cell layers, and tumor promotion in 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-initiated mice. Feeding 0.2% of BE in the diet to CF-1 mice for 10-24 weeks reduced the accumulation of parametrial fat pad weight under the abdomen, and inhibited azoxymethane (AOM)-induced formation of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) by 46%. Addition of pure beta-boswellic acid, 3-O-acetyl-beta-boswellic acid, 11-keto-beta-boswellic acid or 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid to human leukemia HL-60 cell culture inhibited DNA synthesis in HL-60 cells in a dose-dependent manner with IC50 values ranging from 0.6 to 7.1 microM. These results indicate that beta-boswellic acid and its derivatives (the major constituents of Boswellin) have anti-carcinogenic, anti-tumor, and anti-hyperlipidemic activities.
Laboratory for Cancer Research, College of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8020, USA. mthuang@rci.rutgers.edu
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Huang
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Badmaev
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Ding
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Liu
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Xie
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D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001397:Azoxymethane; D004487:Edema / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D007194:India; D051379:Mice; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014315:Triterpenes; C054625:boswellic acid; D001397:Azoxymethane; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate