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DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-827226
© 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
Publication History
Received: February 11, 2004
Accepted: May 20, 2004
Publication Date:
23 September 2004 (online)

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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- 2 Dubois M A, Ilyas M, Wagner H. Cussonosides A and B, two triterpene-saponins from Cussonia barteri . Planta Med. 1986; 52 80-3
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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