title: Pentacyclic triterpenoids and their saponins with apoptosis-inducing activity.
abstract: Pentacyclic triterpenoids exert their antitumor activity through different mechanisms, one of which is apoptosis induction. Although there are many reports on the apoptosis inducing activity of pentacyclic triterpenoids, a systematic survey and discussion on their structure-activity relationships (SARs) is still lacking. In this review, we summarized such activity of oleanane, ursane and lupane type triterpenoids, the most abundant pentacyclic triterpene prototypes in plants. Their structural characteristics responsible for the activity are also discussed, in order to unravel their SARs for the apoptotic induction and benefit further investigations on the antitumor triterpenoids.
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine (PUMC), Ministry of Education, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing 100050, China.
authors.forename: Shao-Rong
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei-Shuo
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Fang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D012503:Saponins