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Planta Med 2004; 70(9): 803-807
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-827226
Original Paper
Pharmacology
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

In vitro Anti-Inflammatory Activity of 23-Hydroxyursolic Acid Isolated from Cussonia bancoensis in Murine Macrophage RAW 264.7 Cells

Kyung-Min Shin1 , Rung-Kyu Kim1 , Tapondjou Leon Azefack2 , Lontsi David3 , Sondengam Beibam Luc3 , Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary4 , Hee-Juhn Park5 , Jong-Won Choi6 , Kyung-Tae Lee1
  • 1College of Pharmacy, Kyung-Hee University, Seoul, Korea
  • 2Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
  • 3Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
  • 4International Center for Chemical Sciences, HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
  • 5Division of Applied Plant Sciences, Sangji University, Wonju, Korea
  • 6College of Pharmacy, Kyung-Sung University, Pusan, Korea
Further Information

Publication History

Received: February 11, 2004

Accepted: May 20, 2004

Publication Date:
23 September 2004 (online)

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Abstract

In the present study, the effects of various triterpenoids isolated from the stem bark of Cussonia bancoensis, namely, ursolic acid (1), 23-hydroxyursolic acid (2), 3-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-23-hydroxyursolic acid (3), and 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-23-hydroxyursolic acid (4) were evaluated on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release by the macrophage cell line RAW 264.7. Of the tested triterpenoids, 23-hydroxyursolic acid (2) was found to be the most potent inhibitor of NO production, and also significantly reduced PGE2 release. Consistent with these observations, the protein and mRNA expression levels of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 enzymes were inhibited by 23-hydroxyursolic acid (2) in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, 23-hydroxyursolic acid (2) inhibited the LPS-induced DNA binding activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), which was associated with a decrease of p65 protein levels in the nucleus. These results suggest that the 23-hydroxyursolic acid-mediated inhibition of iNOS and COX-2 expression, via blocking NF-κB activation, may mechanistically responsible for the anti-inflammatory effects of Cussonia bancoensis stem bark in vitro.

Key words

Cussonia bancoensis - Araliaceae - 23-hydroxyursolic acid - nitric oxide - prostaglandin E2 - cyclooxygenase-2 - inducible nitric oxide synthase - nuclear factor κB

References

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Dr. Kyung-Tae Lee

Department of Biochemistry

College of Pharmacy

Kyung-Hee University

Dongdaemun-Ku

Hoegi-Dong 130-701

Seoul

Korea

Phone: +82-2-961-0860

Fax: +82-2-966-3885

Email: ktlee@khu.ac.kr