Anti-Inflammatory Actions of Pentacyclic Triterpenes

Abstract

Pentacyclic triterpenes (PTs) as aglycones of saponins have a wide distribution in plants, and many of them have been used as anti-inflammatory remedies in folk medicine. This survey critically reviews the effects of PTs on proinflammatory mediator signalling pathways and data from experimental animal models and clinical trials. Because the knowledge of their actions is far from being satisfactory a critical summary of the partly promising but mostly scattered and preliminary data might promote productive research on chances and risks of PTs. Antiproliferative and anti-infectious actions and effects on intracellular cell signalling and hormone metabolism are beyond the scope of this short review, although such effects might also contribute to the understanding of the systemic anti-inflammatory actions of aglycones.

Triterpene Acids from the Leaves ofPerilla frutescensand Their Anti-inflammatory and Antitumor-promoting Effects

“…19,28,29) The antitumor-promoting potency of compounds 1, 5 and 7 can be understood from our hypothesis that the protein kinase C (PKC) signaling pathway would be involved in their inhibition. 23) Various pharmacological activities of compounds 1 and 7, 29,[31][32][33] anti-inflammatory activity 33) and inhibitory effects of mammalian DNA polymerases 34) of 5, and hypoglycemic effects of 2 35) have recently been reported. This study constitutes the first report on the anti-inflammatory and antitumor-promoting activities of compounds 2-4, 6, 8 and 9.…”

Anti-inflammatory effect of the ethanolic extract from Bowdichia virgilioides H.B.K stem bark

“…These different classes of metabolites possess several pharmacological effects that includes an anti-inflammatory activity (Allcarz and Jiménez 1988, Safayhi and Sailer 1997, Buniatian et al 1998, Kumar et al 1998and Ivanovska et al 1999. Although the exact nature of phytochemical constituent (s) responsible for anti-inflammatory action remains unclear, the data seem to correlate well with the traditional indication of Bowdichia virgilioides in inflammatory conditions.…”

Medicinal chemistry and pharmacology of genus Tripterygium (Celastraceae)

“…Oleanolic acid (83) inhibited human leukocyte elastase (Facino et al, 1995;Safayhi and Sailer, 1997). It also inhibited COX-2, and COX-1 in one study (Ringborn et al, 1998) but not in another (Zhang et al, 2004b).…”