Betulinic acid is a pentacyclic triterpenoid compound that is widely present in nature. It was first isolated from the bark of an evergreen plant of the Rhamnaceae family growing in eastern Africa, but its main source is extracted and purified from birch bark. In recent years, scientific research has found that BA is a very valuable natural product. It plays an important role in the body's anti-oxidative damage and immune regulation.
Betulinic acid is a white crystalline powder with a slight odor and a bitter taste.
Application
1. Anti-tumor effect
Betulinic acid was first found to have selective cytotoxicity to melanoma cells. In recent years, it has been found that it also has a strong broad-spectrum activity against other tumor cells, and has a strong inhibitory effect on glioblastoma, neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma, Ewing's tumor and other malignant tumors, colon cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, prostate cancer, renal cell, ovarian or cervical cancer and leukemia.
2. Anti-inflammatory effect
Most pentacyclic triterpenoid compounds have anti-inflammatory activity. Both betulin and betulic acid have mild anti-inflammatory properties at higher concentrations, and their anti-inflammatory properties may depend on the inhibition of protein kinase C without involving any neurogenic inflammatory mechanism. Some studies have also shown that its activity is the result of interaction with glucocorticoid receptors.
The anti-inflammatory effect of betulinic acid has been verified in in vitro and in vivo model systems. Betulinic acid can inhibit the production of PGE2 and reduce inflammatory responses. Studies have shown that it has an inhibitory effect on inflammation in mice caused by forsythia, phorbol, and bryostatin 1, but has no inhibitory effect on inflammation induced by arachidonic acid and neurogenic inflammation models.
3. Antibacterial effect
It has been found that betulinic acid has a certain antibacterial effect, which can inhibit a variety of bacteria including Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. However, studies have shown that its antibacterial activity is weak, which may be due to its belonging to the lupane pentacyclic triterpenoids, which are similar in structure to the hopane pentacyclic triterpenoids, and the presence of substances on the bacterial membrane that can biosynthesize the hopane pentacyclic triterpenoids. Based on the existing research on the antibacterial ability of betulinic acid, its potential as an antibacterial drug is relatively small.
4. Antiviral effect
Betulinic acid has a relatively prominent antiviral activity, especially anti-HIV activity, and is also effective in anti-hepatitis C virus, anti-herpes simplex virus, anti-echovirus, and anti-influenza virus.
5. Anti-hyperlipidemic effect
Studies have found that betulinic acid and its derivatives can play an anti-hyperlipidemic effect by regulating adipose factors, reducing lipid production, and reducing triglyceride and total cholesterol levels.
6. Anti-diabetic effect
Betulinic acid has a good effect in the treatment of diabetes, mainly by inhibiting α-amylase and α-glucosidase to reduce the hydrolysis of polysaccharides and promoting glycogen synthesis.
7. Antioxidant stress activity
BA has a protective effect on normal cells and organisms, and this effect is related to antioxidative stress. For example, betulinic acid has a protective effect on ischemia-reperfusion injury of the brain, kidney and heart. BA has a protective effect on ischemia-reperfusion brain injury in mice by resisting oxidative stress, nitrification stress and increasing blood flow.
8. Other diseases
Some studies have found that betulinic acid has a certain improvement effect on senile dementia. Its protective effect is mainly through weakening neurobehavioral and cognitive dysfunction, reducing proinflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus, and reducing oxidation and nitrosation reactions.
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