JOURNAL OF FOOD BIOCHEMISTRY
·
2023
·
IF 4
Wenjing Jiang,Qun Huang,Xiangxing Meng,Rizwan-ur Rehman,Kun Qian,Xu Yang,Xiaozhi Liu,Jingnan Chen,Ye Zhang,Jing Li,Jilite Wang,Qingbin Guo,Suwen Liu,Hao Wang
Ursolic acid (UA) is a natural triterpene carboxylic acid with an underlying anti-hyperlipidemia effect. This study examined the mechanism of interactions of UA with cholesterol esterase (CEase), pancreatic lipase (PL), and micellar cholesterol solubility in vitro. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of CEase, PL, and micellar cholesterol solubility was determined to be 0.07 ± 0.01 mg/mL, 1.81 ± 0.13 mg/mL, and 1.73 ± 0.08 mg/mL, respectively. Multispectral combination revealed that UA changed the secondary structure and quenched the intrinsic fluorescence by static quenching of the two enzymes. The interactions were exothermic reaction as determined by enthalpy. Furthermore, molecular docking confirmed that UA was bound to amino acids of two enzymes at active site through hydrophobic interaction and van der Waals forces. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation found that CEase and PL rearranged with UA to form stable complexes. The strong inhibition effect of CEase and PL mediated by UA might provide additional insight into understanding the role of UA in the hypolipidemic effect.
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ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
·
2023
·
IF 8.3
Zhichun Shi,Xiuqi Huang,Yingnan Zhao,Jun Li,Yan Qing Tian,Piao Piao Zhang,Min Zhu,Ming Zhao
Pentacyclic triterpenes is a natural amphipathic product which possess a rigid backbone and several polar functional groups such as hydroxyl, carbonyl and carboxyl groups . The amphipathic character makes it easy to realize self-assemble into complex nano structure and therefore attract extensive attention due to the simple synthetic processes and renewable raw materials . Hence, a novel Ursolic acid-based hydrogel was prepared successfully via a simple self-assembly of triterpenoid derivative in methanol by capture water molecule in air. The resulting hydrogel show a porous morphology and good elasticity including strong heat resistance . Based on the characteristic above, the hydrogel showed a good iodine adsorption capacity and can removal 75.0% of the iodine from cyclohexane solution and 66.3% from aqueous solution within 36 h. Data analysis indicate that all the iodine adsorption process are dominated by chemisorption and belongs to the multi-site adsorption on heterogenous surfaces. In addition, the obtained hydrogel also possesses a good recyclability which can maintain more than 82% of its capacity after 5 cycles. The simple preparation method and easily available raw materials endow it a great potential in future pollutant treatment.
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
·
2023
·
IF 5.8
Changhong Yuan,Wenwen Fan,Tengfei Zhou,Dianjun Sun,Hongzhuo Liu,Zhonggui He,Yongjun Wang
Ursolic acid (UA), a natural pentacyclic terpenoid carboxylic acid that can exert a potent hepatoprotective activity, has been developed into various types of nanoparticles to improve its pharmacological effects, however, the phagocytosis of nanoparticles by Kupffer cells greatly limits its efficacy. Herein, UA/Tween 80 nanovesicles (V-UA) were constructed and despite its simple composition, it fulfills multiple functions simultaneously: UA served as not only an active ingredient in the nanovesicle drug delivery system , but also acts as part of the carrier to stabilize UA/Tween 80 nanostructure ; with a molar ratio of UA to Tween 80 up to 2:1, the formulation possesses a significant advantage of higher drug loading capacity; relative to liposomal UA (Lipo-UA), a conditional cellular uptake and higher accumulation of V-UA in hepatocytes provide insights into the hepatocytes targeting mechanisms of this nanovesicles. Favorable hepatocyte targeting ability also facilitates the treatment of liver diseases, which was well validated in three liver disease models.
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高影响因子
Antioxidants
·
2022
·Vol. 11
·期 2
·426
·
IF 7.675
Tian Wei,Lei Wu,Xiaowen Ji,Yan Gao,Guiran Xiao
Ursolic acid (UA) is a bioactive molecule widely distributed in various fruits and vegetables, which was reported to play a therapeutic role in ulcerative colitis (UC) induced by toxic chemicals. However, the underlying mechanism has not been well clarified in vivo. Here, using aDrosophilaUC model induced by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), we investigated the defensive effect of UA on intestinal damage. The results showed that UA could significantly protectDrosophilafrom the damage caused by SDS exposure. Further, UA alleviated the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) induced by SDS and upregulated the activities of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and catalase (CAT). Moreover, the proliferation and differentiation of intestine stem cells (ISCs) as well as the excessive activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-dependent JAK/STAT signaling pathway induced by SDS were restored by UA. In conclusion, UA prevents intestine injury from toxic compounds by reducing the JNK/JAK/STAT signaling pathway. UA may provide a theoretical basis for functional food or natural medicine development.Keywords:ursolic acid;ulcerative colitis;JNK;JAK/STAT;Drosophila
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MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
·
2019
·Vol. 28
·期 8
·1212-1222
·
IF 1.72
Sheng Li-xin,Huang Jia-yan,Liu Chun-mei,Zhang Ju-zheng,Cheng Ke-guang
A total of 25 targeted hydrogen sulfide donor–pentacyclic triterpene hybrids were designed, synthesized and evaluated on the basis of inspiring reports about hydrogen sulfide donor molecules and oleanolic acid derivatives on anti-tumor activity. The results revealed that only some hybrids ( 10a , 10b , 12a , 12b , 13a , and 15b ) showed moderate anti-proliferation activity against K562 cell line. It indicated that oleanane-type, ( R )-lipoic acid and TBZ groups were much more favorable to the anti-proliferation activity. Furthermore, C-3 OH was more beneficial than C-28/29 COOH in the oleanane-type to the antitumor activity of the batch of ( R )-lipoic acid derivatives. And among them, only compound 13a exhibited moderate anti-proliferation activity against both K562 and K562/ADR cell lines, while it exhibited no anti-proliferation activity against BEL-7402 and L-O2 cell lines. Therefore, it suggested that it was not suitable for hybridization of hydrogen sulfide donors attached to oleanolic acid, ursolic acid and glycyrrhetinic acid in the field of anti-tumor.
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Journal of Materials Chemistry B
·
2025
·
IF 5.7
XIAOXIAO YUAN,Xiaoyi Zhang,YIFAN YANG,YAONAN WANG,SHURUI ZHAO,QIQI FENG,Jianhui Wu,MING ZHAO,Shiqi Peng
Here a novel anti-osteoporosis agent UA-RGDS, namely RGDS (Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser) conjugated UA (ursolic acid), was presented. In ultrapure water UA-RGDS existed as the tetramer. In the serum of OVX mice (ovariectomized mice), and at 10-4 M of concentration the self-assemble led UA-RGDS to the formation of nano-particles of 16 nm-156 nm in height, the size of suitably transporting in the blood circulation. In vivo bio-distribution supported that UA-RGDS only distributed in the femur of OVX mice, while null distribution been found in the blood and the other organs. These observations suggested that UA-RGDS was capable of targeting the femur, thereby blocked bone loss. ELISA experiment explored that as anti-osteoporosis agent UA-RGDS down regulated the expressions of IL-1β in the serum OVX mice. Thus UA-RGDS provided a linker for bone loss and down regulation of the expressions of IL-1β, thereby made serum IL-1β to be a biomarker for menopause women clinically.
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JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
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2025
·
IF 9.7
Xingran Kou,Yuxin Yang,Tingting Yan,Yue Wei
Gel emulsions stabilized by low-molecular-weight gelators (LMWGs) exhibit distinctive properties owing to the dynamic supramolecular networks self-assembled in the continuous phase. Innovating the molecular structure of LMWGs offers a promising strategy to endow gel emulsions with new functionalities. Herein, a novel ursolic acid-based amine oxide amphiphile (abbreviated as UA-6-AO) was synthesized, which acts as a highly efficient LMWG with a critical gelation concentration of 10 mmol·L −1 . At concentrations above this threshold, UA-6-AO stabilized gel emulsions by gelling the aqueous continuous phase, enabling adjustable oil volume fractions from 5 % to 70 %. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy revealed that UA-6-AO self-assembled into a unique dual supramolecular network comprising hollow tubular structures approximately 25 nm in cross-sectional diameter, interwoven with flexible fibrous filaments about 5 nm wide and over 2 μm long, which are rarely observed in previously reported supramolecular hydrogels. This tubular – fibrous co-network imparted excellent viscoelastic and mechanical properties to both hydrogels and gel emulsions. Rheological analysis further demonstrated that the UA-6-AO-based systems exhibited rapid gel-sol-gel transitions under shear and complete recovery of the storage modulus upon strain removal, confirming self-healing behavior and injectability. This work highlights the potential of ursolic acid-based amphiphiles in constructing multifunctional gel emulsions, providing new insights into the application of natural triterpenoids in stimuli-responsive soft materials.
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JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
·
2026
·
IF 7.3
Ziqi Pan,Zhiying Qin,Ziyu Qian,Gui Han,Mengqi Sun,Yueying Bian,Tinghui Jin,Yuan Yin,Yongjie Zhang,Zhanbo Wang,Zhangjian Huang,Xijing Chen,Shentian Zhuang,Di Zhao
Abstract Cisplatin is a cornerstone chemotherapeutic for ovarian cancer, yet its clinical utility is constrained by severe systemic toxicity and acquired drug resistance. Here we report a novel platinum (IV) prodrug, US-CIS-OH, generated by conjugating cisplatin with ursolic acid (UA), a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid with intrinsic anticancer activity. US-CIS-OH, markedly increases platinum uptake and DNA platination in cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cells, induces S- and G2/M-phase arrest and apoptosis, and suppresses cell migration and clonogenic growth. Chemoproteomic profiling indicates that US-CIS-OH directly engages the XPO1 and PARP1, and is associated with increased levels of cleaved caspase-3. In a cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer xenograft model, US-CIS−OH elicits marked tumor regression with minimal toxicity. This dual-acting system achieves synergistic effects from both the intact conjugated and bioreductively released cisplatin. Collectively, these results identify US-CIS−OH as a promising next-generation platinum-based agent to overcome cisplatin resistance by enhancing DNA damage, promoting apoptosis, and limiting metastatic traits.
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JOURNAL OF CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE
·
2019
·Vol. 23
·期 3
·2174-2183
·
IF 4.658
Haiman Mu,Haiwen Liu,Jiayi Zhang,Jianhua Huang,Chen Zhu,Yue Lu,Yueping Shi,Yi Wang
In addition to the known antitumour effects of ursolic acid (UA), increasing evidence indicates that this molecule plays a role in cardiac protection. In this study, the effects of ursolic acid on the heart in mice treated with doxorubicin (DOX) were assessed. The results showed that ursolic acid improved left ventrical fractional shortening (LVFS) and left ventrical ejection fraction (LVEF) of the heart, increased nitrogen oxide (NO) levels, inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and decreased cardiac apoptosis in mice treated with doxorubicin. Mechanistically, ursolic acid increased AKT and endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation levels, and enhanced eNOS expression, while inhibiting doxorubicin induced eNOS uncoupling through NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) down-regulation. These effects of ursolic acid resulted in heart protection from doxorubicin-induced injury. Therefore, ursolic acid may be considered a potential therapeutic agent for doxorubicin-associated cardiac toxicity in clinical practice.
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FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
·
2025
·
IF 8
Xiaoting Wang,Shiyao Fu,Ying Han,Xuening Yang,Jing Wang,Xin Yang
The research constructed a co-assembly nanoparticles (NPs) of ursolic acid (UA) and betulinic acid (BA) as carriers to load the active substance curcumin (CCM) by co-precipitation method, aiming to improve the stability and bioavailability of CCM in the human body and enabling CCM to play more functions in the production of functional foods. The average particle size of UA-BA-CCM NPs was 222.6 nm and zeta potential was −26.63 mV. The UA-BA-CCM NPs had small size and great stability. The drug loading was up to 20.42 %. Moreover, the hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking existed in the three molecules. The result was verified by Molecular Dynamics Simulation, FITR, and UV experiments. In simulated in vitro release experiments, the release rate of the NPs was lower than free CCM in gastric phase, improving CCM bioavailability. Meanwhile, the UA-BA-CCM NPs performed better clearing free radicals than free CCM. Thus, UA-BA-CCM NPs delivery system not only could improve stability and bioavailability of CCM, but also might make CCM play a role in the functional food.
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Heliyon
·
2024
·
IF 3.4
Ao Sun,Yu-fei Li,Yang Miao,Hong-xia Wang,Lin-lin Zhang
The objective of this study was to investigate the potential targets and mechanisms of UA in the treatment of PD. The efficacy of UA in PD was assessed through network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental methods. Common target protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed and visualized using Cytoscape. As a result, 9 key genes, namely CASP3, IL6, IL1B, PTGS2, CREB1, TNF, MAPK3, JUN, and CASP8, were selected. Molecular docking simulations were performed using Discovery Studio 2019 to validate the correlation between UA and the core targets. The results demonstrated a favorable binding affinity between UA and CASP8, IL1B, CASP3, TNF, MAPK3 and IL6. In vivo studies showed UA ameliorated motor dysfunction, and UA can significantly increase the protein expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in PD mice model. In addition, in vitro experiments confirmed that UA effectively reduced the protein expression of CASP8, CASP3 and MAPK3 in PD cell models and suppressed the gene expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. These findings indicate that the therapeutic effects of UA on PD could be due to its influence on various targets within both the apoptosis and neuroinflammatory signaling pathways. Consequently, this study provides a methodological and theoretical foundation for further elucidating the pharmacological mechanism of UA.
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PHYTOMEDICINE
·
2022
·
IF 6.656
Simeng Chu,Yujie Lu,Wenjuan Liu,Xiaoyao Ma,Jiamin Peng,Xiaoying Wang,Min Jiang,Gang Bai
Background Tetrandrine (TET), a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from Stephania tetrandra S. Moore, is the only approved medicine in China for silicosis. However, TET-induced hepatotoxicity has raised safety concerns. The underlying toxic targets and mechanism induced by TET remain unclear; there are no targeted detoxification strategies developed for TET-induced hepatotoxicity. Ursolic acid (UA), a pentacyclic triterpene with liver protective effects, may have detoxification effects on TET-induced hepatotoxicity. Purpose This study aims to explore toxic targets and mechanism of TET and present UA as a potential targeted therapy for alleviating TET-induced hepatotoxicity. Methods A TET-induced liver-injury model was established to evaluate TET toxicity and the potential UA detoxification effect. Alkenyl-modified TET and UA probes were designed to identify potential liver targets. Pharmacological and molecular biology methods were used to explore the underlying toxicity/detoxification mechanism. Results TET induced liver injury by covalently binding to the substrate-binding pocket (H-site) of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and inhibiting GST activity. The covalent binding led to toxic metabolite accumulation and caused redox imbalance and liver injury. UA protected the liver from TET-induced damage by competitively binding to the GST H-site. Conclusion The mechanism of TET-induced hepatotoxicity is related to irreversible binding with the GST H-site and GST-activity inhibition. UA, a natural antidote, competed with TET on H-site binding and reversed the redox imbalance. This study revealed the hepatotoxic mechanism of TET and provided a targeted detoxifying agent, UA, to alleviate hepatotoxicity caused by GST inhibition.
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