ArticlePloS one2012
Potent anti-inflammatory activity of ursolic acid, a triterpenoid antioxidant, is mediated through suppression of NF-κB, AP-1 and NF-AT.
Article in PloS one, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 105 papers.
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Who cites it
105 citing papers in PubMed, 257 citations in OpenAlex.
- Ursolic acid: context-dependent redox activity on oxidative stress and its toxicological implications.Archives of toxicology · 2026Review
- Review
- Attenuation of LPS-induced inflammatory responses in J774A.1 macrophages by phenylpropanoids and ursane triterpenes from Lavandula coronopifolia Poir.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Review
- Ocimum tenuiflorum L. extracts attenuate polycystic ovarian syndrome in letrozole treated female Wistar rats through modulation of iNOS, COX-2, IL-1β and TNF-α.Journal of molecular histology · 2026Article
- Prospective Pilot Study of Lavender Terpenoid Topical Formulation in Psoriasis Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: Clinical and Inflammatory Outcomes.Biomedicines · 2026Article
- Cytotoxicity ofInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Effects of Ursolic Acid on Immune Function and Antioxidative Capacity in Weaned Rabbits.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Article
- Natural Compounds and Their Potential in Eating-Related Aspects of Mental Health Disorders.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Herbal Extract-Induced DNA Damage, Apoptosis, and Antioxidant Effects ofPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Activation of the Insulin Receptor byACS omega · 2025Article
- Review
- Ursolic acid derivatives improved clinical signs of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by modulating central nervous system inflammation.Metabolic brain disease · 2025Article
- Enhancing the Physicochemical Properties, Bioactivity, and Functional Applications of Fresh Jujube Juice Using Media Milling.ACS omega · 2025Article
- Herbal Immunostimulants and Their Phytochemicals: ExploringPlants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Antioxidant efficiency of Sarcophyton crude extract against gentamicin toxicity in male albino rats.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Article
- Promising Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Ursolic Acid Isolated fromCurrent rheumatology reviews · 2025Article
- Urolithin-C Suppresses Inflammation by Blocking NF-κB Signaling Pathway in LPS-Induced RAW 264.7 Macrophages.Journal of inflammation research · 2025Article
- Alaska's Flora as a Treatment for Cancer.International journal of biopharmaceutical sciences · 2024Article
45 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundUrsolic acid (UA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid carboxylic acid, is the major component of many plants including apples, basil, cranberries, peppermint, rosemary, oregano and prunes and has been reported to possess antioxidant and anti-tumor properties. These properties of UA have been attributed to its ability to suppress NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa B) activation. Since NF-κB, in co-ordination with NF-AT (nuclear factor of activated T cells) and AP-1(activator protein-1), is known to regulate inflammatory genes, we hypothesized that UA might exhibit potent anti-inflammatory effects. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL
findingsThe anti-inflammatory effects of UA were assessed in activated T cells, B cells and macrophages. Effects of UA on ERK, JNK, NF-κB, AP-1 and NF-AT were studied to elucidate its mechanism of action. In vivo efficacy of UA was studied using mouse model of graft-versus-host disease. UA inhibited activation, proliferation and cytokine secretion in T cells, B cells and macrophages. UA inhibited mitogen-induced up-regulation of activation markers and co-stimulatory molecules in T and B cells. It inhibited mitogen-induced phosphorylation of ERK and JNK and suppressed the activation of immunoregulatory transcription factors NF-κB, NF-AT and AP-1 in lymphocytes. Treatment of cells with UA prior to allogenic transplantation significantly delayed induction of acute graft-versus-host disease in mice and also significantly reduced the serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IFN-γ. UA treatment inhibited T cell activation even when added post-mitogenic stimulation demonstrating its therapeutic utility as an anti-inflammatory agent. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The present study describes the detailed mechanism of anti-inflammatory activity of UA. Further, UA may find application in the treatment of inflammatory disorders.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.