Inhibitory Activity of Boswellic Acids from Boswellia serrata against Human Leukemia HL-60 Cells in Culture

Yu Shao; Chi-Tang Ho; Chee-Kok Chin; Vladimir Badmaev; Wei Ma; Mou-Tuan Huang

doi:10.1055/s-2006-957444

Planta Medica, Table of Contents

Planta Med 1998; 64(4): 328-331
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-957444

Papers

Pharmacology
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Inhibitory Activity of Boswellic Acids from Boswellia serrata against Human Leukemia HL-60 Cells in Culture

Yu Shao¹ ^, ² , Chi-Tang Ho² , Chee-Kok Chin¹ , Vladimir Badmaev³ , Wei Ma⁴ , Mou-Tuan Huang⁴

¹Department of Plant Science, Cook College, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, U.S.A.
²Department of Food Science, Cook College, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, U.S.A.
³Sabinsa Corporation, 122 Ethel Road West, Piscataway, NJ, U.S.A.
⁴Department of Chemical Biology, Laboratory for Cancer Research, College of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, U.S.A.

Abstract

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Abstract

Four major triterpene acids including β-boswellic acid (1), 3-O-acetyl-β-boswellic acid (2), 11-keto-β-boswellic acid (3), and 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (4) were isolated from the gum resin of Boswellia serrata and examined for their in vitro antitumor activity. They inhibited the synthesis of DNA, RNA and protein in human leukemia HL-60 cells in a dose dependent manner with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.6 to 7.1 µM. Among them, compound 4 induced the most pronounced inhibitory effects on DNA, RNA and protein synthesis with IC₅₀ values of 0.6, 0.5, and 4.1 µM, respectively. The effect of 4 on DNA synthesis was found to be irreversible. Compound 4 significantly inhibited the cellular growth of HL-60 cells, but did not affect cell viability.

Key words

Boswellia serrata - Burseraceae - boswellic acids - triterpene acids - antileukemia - macromolecule synthesis - cellular growth

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