title: Topical anti-inflammatory activity of 2alpha-hydroxy pentacyclic triterpene acids from the leaves of Ugni molinae.
abstract: Leaf extracts of Ugni molinae Turcz. are used in the Chilean cosmetic industry on the assumption that they have decongestant, regenerative, and anti-aging properties. A bioassay-guided fractionation of this plant material showed that some extracts have potent anti-inflammatory activities. Further fractionation led to the isolation and identification of betulinic acid, a mixture of ursolic and oleanolic acids, and the 2alpha-hydroxy derivatives alphitolic, asiatic, and corosolic acids. The latter three were evaluated in vivo in the mouse ear assay for their topical anti-inflammatory activity, inducing inflammation with either arachidonic acid (AA) or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13 acetate (TPA). Only corosolic acid was active in the AA assay, with similar potency to nimesulide, but all three triterpene acids inhibited TPA-induced inflammation with potencies comparable to that of indomethacin.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Natural Products, Department of Pharmacological and Toxicological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago 1. mcaguirr@ciq.uchile.cl
authors.forename: María C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Aguirre
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Delporte
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Backhouse
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erazo
authors.forename: María Eugenia
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Letelier
authors.forename: Bruce K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Cassels
authors.forename: Ximena
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alegría
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Negrete
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D027822:Myrtaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D010032:Otitis Externa / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000494:pharmacology; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000094062:Betulinic Acid
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds; D013449:Sulfonamides; D014315:Triterpenes; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; C017032:asiatic acid; C113861:corosolic acid; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; C012655:nimesulide; D007213:Indomethacin; D000094062:Betulinic Acid