Antioxidant and antiatherogenic activities of pentacyclic triterpenic diols and acids.

The present paper aimed to test the potential cardioprotective activity of four pentacyclic triterpenes, uvaol, erythrodiol, oleanolic acid and maslinic acid, widely distributed throughout the vegetable kingdom. For this purpose, their antioxidant and antithrombotic activities related to LDL particles have been in vitro evaluated. Results demonstrated that maslinic acid, uvaol and erythrodiol exert antiatherogenic effect while no effect was observed for oleanolic acid. Specifically, maslinic acid has shown the most potent dose-dependent antioxidant effect and did not have antithrombotic properties, whereas uvaol and erythrodiol exhibited both antioxidant and antithrombotic activities. In addition, antioxidant mechanisms of action were determined. While maslinic acid possesses dual activity acting as scavenger of free radicals and as copper chelator, uvaol is able to form a complex with copper and erythrodiol seems to behave as a retarder antioxidant. In conclusion, dietary triterpenes may exert a cardioprotective effect by different mechanisms of action related to antioxidant and antithrombotic activities.