Ursolic Acid

Other Names : urson, prunol, malol, 3-beta-3-hydroxy-urs-12-ene-28-oic-acid

Special Precautions of Ursolic Acid

• Mice supplemented with Ursolic Acid have shown infertility due to damage to, and fusion of sperm precursor cells. Reduced sperm motility has also been observed.
• There is some concern that Ursolic acid, when administered at effective doses, can cause DNA damage. This is thought to be one of the mechanisms behind the anti-tumour properties of this substance, but the same effects have been observed on healthy cells.
• There is no information on the effects of Ursolic acid in humans. Whilst in vitro experiments and trials in mice have shown promise, there is no way to predict effects in without testing this directly.

Health Benefits and uses of Ursolic Acid are

Ursolic acid has medicinally action, both topically and internally. Ursolic acid is used in many cosmetic preparations for its anti-inflammatory, antitumor and antimicrobial properties.

• Diabetes : Ursolic acid may be beneficial to in treating diabetes via a number of mechanisms. Of particular interest is its suspected ability to enhance the effects of insulin on sugar uptake
• antibacterial and antifungal activity. Tests have shown that Ursolic acid inhibits the growth of Candida albicans and Microsporium lenosum.
• Studies in mice have identified promise for Ursolic acid both in preventing muscle wasting, and encouraging the growth of skeletal muscle. It may also be able to affect the way fat is accumulated in the body, and prevent obesity
• anti-inflammatory properties and is used in ointments to treat burns.
• Cancer : An increase in dietary ursolic acid is associated with the treatment of cancer pertaining to the pancreas, cervix, lung, colon, skin, and breast. Ursolic acid has been shown to disrupt cancerous activity by destroying the survival mechanisms that cancer cells are reliant upon. For instance, ursolic acid turns on apoptosis thus inhibiting the replication of damaged DNA and cancer metastasis.
• Topical application of ursolic acid inhibited TPA-induced initiation and promotion of tumor growth.
• Ursolic acid is thought to possess weak anti-aromatase activity.

Food Sources

Ursolic acid is present in many plants, such as Mirabilis jalapa, as well as in many fruits and herbs used in daily life (e.g. apples, basil, bilberries, cranberries, elder flower, peppermint, rosemary, lavender, oregano, thyme, hawthorn, and prunes). Apple peels contain large quantities of ursolic acid and related compounds.

References

• Ma CM, Cai SQ, Cui JR, Wang RQ, Tu PF, Hattori M. Daneshtalab, M (2005). "The cytotoxic activity of ursolic acid derivatives". Eur. J. Med. Chem 40 (6): 582–589
• Zhang W, et al. Ursolic acid and its derivative inhibit protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B, enhancing insulin receptor phosphorylation and stimulating glucose uptake. Biochim Biophys Acta. (2006)
• Tannock LR. Ursolic acid effect on atherosclerosis: apples and apples, or apples and oranges. Atherosclerosis. (2011)
• Kunkel, S. D.; Suneja, M.; Ebert, S. M.; Bongers, K. S.; Fox, D. K.; Malmberg, S. E.; Alipour, F.; Shields, R. K.; Adams, C. M. (2011). "MRNA Expression Signatures of Human Skeletal Muscle Atrophy Identify a Natural Compound that Increases Muscle Mass". Cell Metabolism 13 (6): 627–638.
• Kunkel SD, Elmore CJ, Bongers KS, Ebert SM, Fox DK, et al. (2012) Ursolic Acid Increases Skeletal Muscle and Brown Fat and Decreases Diet-Induced Obesity, Glucose Intolerance and Fatty Liver Disease
• Gnoatto, SC; Dassonville-Klimpt, A; Da Nascimento, S; Galéra, P; Boumediene, K; Gosmann, G; Sonnet, P; Moslemi, S (2008). "Evaluation of ursolic acid isolated from Ilex paraguariensis and derivatives on aromatase inhibition". European journal of medicinal chemistry 43(9): 1865–77.
• Liao Q, et al. LC-MS determination and pharmacokinetic studies of ursolic acid in rat plasma after administration of the traditional chinese medicinal preparation Lu-Ying extract.Yakugaku Zasshi. (2005)
• Chattopadhyay D, et al. A potent sperm motility-inhibiting activity of bioflavonoids from an ethnomedicine of Onge, Alstonia macrophylla Wall ex A. DC, leaf extract. Contraception. (2005).
• Messner B, et al. Ursolic acid causes DNA-damage, p53-mediated, mitochondria- and caspase-dependent human endothelial cell apoptosis, and accelerates atherosclerotic plaque formation in vivo. Atherosclerosis. (2011)