Ursolic acid: biological functions and application in animal husbandry

Liu, Guanhui; Qin, Peng; Cheng, Xinying; Wu, Lifei; Wang, Ruoning; Gao, Wei

doi:10.3389/fvets.2023.1251248

Front. Vet. Sci.

2023

DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1251248

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Ursolic acid: biological functions and application in animal husbandry

Guanhui Liu,

Peng Qin,

Xinying Cheng

et al.

Abstract: Ursolic acid (UA) is a plant-derived pentacyclic triterpenoid with 30 carbon atoms. UA has anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antimicrobial, hepato-protective, anticancer, and other biological activities. Most studies on the biological functions of UA have been performed in mammalian cell (in vitro) and rodent (in vivo) models. UA is used in animal husbandry as an anti-inflammatory and antiviral agent, as well as for enhancing the integrity of the intestinal barrier. Although UA has been shown to have significa… Show more

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2024

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Cited by 4 publications

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Lipophilic and polar extracts in the cork-rich bark of the Miombo species Parinari curatellifolia

Malengue,

Simões,

Miranda

et al. 2024

Eur. J. Wood Prod.

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The Miombo species Parinari curatellifolia has a bark with a cork-rich rhytidome that was studied here for the first time regarding extract yields and composition, using the complete rhytidome and also the separated cork fraction. The objective was to analyse their potential as sources of extracts with antioxidant activities aiming at increasing the species’ valorization and our knowledge on cork-rich barks.The content in total extractives was 6.1% and 8.4% in rhytidome and cork, respectively, with the lipophilic extracts soluble in dichloromethane corresponding to 23% and 38% of the total extracts, respectively. In cork, triterpenes and sterols were the main families of lipophilic components (58.9% and 20.8% of all compounds, respectively) while the rhytidome lipophilic extracts had a much higher content of long-chain lipids, including alkanoic acids and ɑ,ω-diacids (28.8% and 7.0%, respectively), with terpenes representing 27.7% and sterols 8.4% of all compounds. Aromatics were also present in significant amounts of 12.1%. Triterpenes included compounds known for various therapeutic properties, e.g. betulinic acid, corosolic acid, maslinic acid and ursolic acid, thereby explaining the use of P. curatellifolia in traditional medicine. Ethanol-water extracts contained phenolics, flavonoids, and tannins, and showed low (cork) or good (rhytidome) antioxidant properties. The outerbark of P. curatellifolia is therefore a potential source of bioactive compounds.

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Lipophilic and polar extracts in the cork-rich bark of the Miombo species Parinari curatellifolia

Malengue,

Simões,

Miranda

et al. 2024

Eur. J. Wood Prod.

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In vitro effects of ursolic acid on RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation

Berköz,

Çetiner

2024

Cukurova Medical Journal

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Purpose: Ursolic acid is a small pentacyclic triterpene molecule composed of isoprenoid units. Although ursolic acid has been shown to be effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in many studies, very little research has been conducted on bone diseases caused by bone loss. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of ursolic acid on osteoclast formation with the aim of finding herbal medicines that inhibit osteoclast function to strengthen bones and promote vitality in old age. Materials and Methods: RAW264.7 murine macrophages were used in our study and cells were treated with 100 ng/mL RANKL for osteoclastic differentiation. The effects of ursolic acid treatment on cell viability, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) formation and osteoclastic gene expression levels were then measured. Results: Our results showed that ursolic acid did not exhibit significant cytotoxicity (3.2-9.8%) at concentrations of 2.5-10 µg/mL. Furthermore, ursolic acid inhibited osteoclast differentiation (15.2-39.1%) and suppressed the expression of osteoclastic genes such as cathepsin K (3.8-22.3%), TRAP (16.3-48. 7%), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) (10.7-40.2%), nuclear factor of activated T-cell cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1) (1.2-29.7%), c-Fos (0.9-13.8%) and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) (2.2-21.6%). Conclusion: Ursolic acid has been shown to inhibit RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation and therefore we believe that ursolic acid may be used for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis.

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Evaluation of the mechanistic basis for the antibacterial activity of ursolic acid against Staphylococcus aureus

Liu,

Qin,

Cheng

et al. 2024

Front. Microbiol.

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The antibiotics are generally regarded as the first choice approach to treat dairy mastitis, targeting the public health problems associated with the food safety and the emergence of antibioticresistant bacteria. The objective of the study was to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of ursolic acid (UA) when used to treat Staphylococcus aureus and other isolates associated with bovine mastitis and to clarify the mechanistic basis for these effects. The bacteriostatic properties of UA extracted from Rosmarinus officinalis L. at four different purity levels were assessed by calculating minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values, while the synergistic effects of combining 98% UA with antibiotics were evaluated by measuring the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI). Changes in biofilm formation and the growth curves of the clinical isolates were assessed to clarify the bacteriostatic effect of UA. Furthermore, the cell wall integrity, protein synthesis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were assessed to determine the antibacterial mechanism of UA treatment. Ultimately, UA was revealed to exhibit robust activity against Gram-positive bacteria including S. aureus (ATCC 25923), Streptococcus dysgalactiae (ATCC27957), Streptococcus agalactiae (ATCC13813), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC29212), and Streptococcus mutans (ATCC25175). However, it did not affect Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922). The MIC values of UA preparations that were 98, 50, 30, and 10% pure against S. aureus were 39, 312, 625, and 625 μg/mL, respectively, whereas the corresponding MIC for E. coli was >5,000 μg/mL. The minimum bactericidal concentrations of 98% UA when used to treat three clinical S. aureus isolates (S4, S5, and S6) were 78, 78, and 156 μg/mL, respectively. Levels of biofilm formation for clinical S. aureus isolates decreased with increasing 98% UA concentrations. Above the MIC dose, UA treatment resulted in the dissolution of bacterial cell walls and membranes, with cells becoming irregularly shaped and exhibiting markedly impaired intracellular protein synthesis. S. aureus treated with 98% UA was able to rapidly promote intracellular ROS biogenesis. Together, these data highlight the promising utility of UA as a compound that can be used together with other antibiotics for the treatment of infections caused by S. aureus.

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Ursolic acid: biological functions and application in animal husbandry

Cited by 4 publications

References 114 publications

Lipophilic and polar extracts in the cork-rich bark of the Miombo species Parinari curatellifolia

Lipophilic and polar extracts in the cork-rich bark of the Miombo species Parinari curatellifolia

In vitro effects of ursolic acid on RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation

Evaluation of the mechanistic basis for the antibacterial activity of ursolic acid against Staphylococcus aureus

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