Section of Molecular Chemoprevention and Therapeutics, The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA.
Life Sci. 2011 Feb 14;88(7-8):285-93. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2010.11.020. Epub 2010 Nov 29.
Since ancient times, natural products have been used as remedies to treat human diseases. Lupeol, a phytosterol and triterpene, is widely found in edible fruits, and vegetables. Extensive research over the last three decades has revealed several important pharmacological activities of lupeol. Various in vitro and preclinical animal studies suggest that lupeol has a potential to act as an anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-protozoal, anti-proliferative, anti-invasive, anti-angiogenic and cholesterol lowering agent. Employing various in vitro and in vivo models, lupeol has also been tested for its therapeutic efficiency against conditions including wound healing, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and arthritis. Lupeol has been found to be pharmacologically effective in treating various diseases under preclinical settings (in animal models) irrespective of varying routes of administration viz; topical, oral, intra-peritoneal and intravenous. It is noteworthy that lupeol has been reported to selectively target diseased and unhealthy human cells, while sparing normal and healthy cells. Published studies provide evidence that lupeol modulates the expression or activity of several molecules such as cytokines IL-2, IL4, IL5, ILβ, proteases, α-glucosidase, cFLIP, Bcl-2 and NFκB. This minireview discusses in detail the preclinical studies conducted with lupeol and provides an insight into its mechanisms of action.
自古以来，天然产物一直被用作治疗人类疾病的药物。羽扇豆醇是一种植物固醇和三萜烯，广泛存在于可食用的水果和蔬菜中。在过去的三十年中，广泛的研究揭示了羽扇豆醇的几种重要的药理学活性。各种体外和临床前动物研究表明，羽扇豆醇具有抗炎、抗菌、抗原生动物、抗增殖、抗侵袭、抗血管生成和降胆固醇的作用。在各种体外和体内模型中，还测试了羽扇醇对包括伤口愈合、糖尿病、心血管疾病、肾病和关节炎在内的多种疾病的治疗效果。羽扇豆醇已被发现无论给药途径（局部、口服、腹腔内和静脉内）如何，在临床前（动物模型）环境中对各种疾病都具有药理作用。值得注意的是，羽扇豆醇已被报道选择性地针对患病和不健康的人类细胞，而不影响正常和健康的细胞。已发表的研究提供了证据表明，羽扇豆醇调节几种分子的表达或活性，如细胞因子 IL-2、IL4、IL5、ILβ、蛋白酶、α-葡萄糖苷酶、cFLIP、Bcl-2 和 NFκB。这篇综述详细讨论了用羽扇豆醇进行的临床前研究，并深入探讨了其作用机制。
