MY CART: 0 ITEM(S)
Questions? 1 (951) 639-9708
Ursolic Acid Health Topic
Ursolic acid is a biologically active compound found in many plants (a phytochemical). Ursolic acid is pharmacologically safe (non-toxic). Extensive scientific research has shown ursolic acid's exciting potential. Ursolic acid has anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties and has been used to relieve pain from burns, prevent dental carries, and inhibit candida growth. Ursolic acid has recently gained interest from the fitness community because of research indicating that it boosts muscle growth, reduces muscle wasting, and increase bone formation activity. But most exciting is the research into ursolic acid's chemopreventative properties. Studies have show that ursolic acid suppresses tumor formation, inhibits tumor growth, induces apoptosis, inhibits angiogenesis, inhibits signaling and activation pathways, induces tumor cell differentiation, and suppresses growth factor expression. In addition, ursolic acid has been shown to decrease chemoresistance and radioresistance in patients undergoing cancer treatment.
Dietary Sources of Ursolic Acid:
Basil, peppermint leaves, lavender, oregano, sage, and thyme.
Dietary Sources of Ursolic Acid:
Basil, peppermint leaves, lavender, oregano, sage, and thyme.
Note: Essense-of-Life.com encourages personal research and a balanced view of health and nutrition topics. The links below provide a broad overview of various research findings and hypothesis on the role of nutrition in health. This information is not intended to promote any particular product. Unless noted, the articles below do not include any scientific references.
Learn More About Ursolic Acid
-
Pharmacology of Oleanolic Acid and Ursolic Acid
Ursolic acid is a compound that exists widely in food, medicinal herbs and other plants. Ursolic acid is relatively non-toxic and has been used in cosmetics and health products. Recent scientific research has noted ursolic acid's antitumor-promotion effects.
SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE
-
Ursolic Acid: Phytochemical
Ursolic acid is present in many plants, including apples, bilberries, cranberries, elder flower, peppermint, lavender, oregano, thyme, hawthorn, prunes. Ursolic acid has antibacterial and antifungal activity. Tests have shown that Ursolic acid inhibits the growth of Candida albicans and Microsporium lenosum. Ursolic acid has anti-inflammatory properties and is used in ointments to treat burns. Topical application of ursolic acid inhibited TPA-induced initiation and promotion of tumor growth.
-
Inhibition of Tumor Promotion in Skin
Topical cosmetic preparations containing ursolic acid / oleanolic acid have been patented in Japan for the prevention of topical skin cancer.
CONTAINS REFERENCES
-
Antitumour Effects of Ursolic Acid Isolated From Oldenlandia Diffusa
Ursolic acid demonstrated a significant inhibition of the proliferation of cultured tumour cells.
SCIENTIFIC STUDY
-
Antibacterial Effects of Ursolic Acid Against Cariogenic Bacteria
Ursolic acid is present in the leaf of loquat and the calyx of persimmon, which have been used as toothpicks since ancient times in Japan. In this study...dental caries scores were significantly decreased in the group given Ursolic acid. Ursolic acid can be used in preventional food additives against dental caries.
SCIENTIFIC STUDY
-
Ursolic Acid Regulates High Glucose-Induced Apoptosis
A high concentration of glucose has been implicated as a causal factor in initiation and progression of diabetic complications and that hyperglycemia increases the production of free radicals and oxidative stress. Compounds that scavenge reactive oxygen species may confer regulatory effects on high glucose-induced apoptosis. Ursolic acid is reported to have an antioxidant activity. Ursolic acid may play an important role in regulating the apoptosis induced by high glucose presumably through scavenging of reactive oxygen species.
SCIENTIFIC STUDY
-
Anabolic Activity of Ursolic Acid in Bone: Stimulating Osteoblast Differentiation In Vitro and Inducing New Bone Formation In Vivo
Ursolic acid was shown to have bone-forming activity in vivo in a mouse calvarial bone formation model. These results suggested that ursolic acid has the anabolic potential to stimulate osteoblast differentiation and enhance new bone formation.
SCIENTIFIC STUDY
-
Chemosensitization and Radiosensitization of Tumors by Plant Polyphenols
The treatment of cancer with chemotherapeutic agents and radiation has two major problems: tumor resistance to therapy and toxicity toward normal cells. Recent research has suggested that plant polyphenols (which includes ursolic acid) might be used to sensitize tumor cells to chemotherapeutic agents and radiation therapy by inhibiting pathways that lead to treatment resistance. These agents have also been found to be protective from therapy-associated toxicities.
SCIENTIFIC STUDY
-
Role of Chemopreventive Agents in Cancer Therapy
Extensive research in the last few years has revealed that regular consumption of certain fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of acquiring specific cancers. Phytochemicals derived from such fruits and vegetables, referred to as chemopreventive agents include ursolic acid. These agents have been shown to suppress cancer cell proliferation, inhibit growth factor signaling pathways, induce apoptosis, inhibit NF-kappaB, AP-1 and JAK-STAT activation pathways, inhibit angiogenesis, suppress the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins and inhibit cyclooxygenase-2. These chemopreventive agents also have very recently been found to reverse chemoresistance and radioresistance in patients undergoing cancer treatment. Thus, these chemopreventive agents have potential to be used as adjuncts to current cancer therapies.
SCIENTIFIC STUDY
-
From Chemoprevention to Chemotherapy: Common Targets and Common Goals
Cancer is a multifactorial disease that requires modulation of multiple pathways and multiple targets. Various molecular targets of chemoprevention (the abrogation or delay in the onset of cancer) are also relevant to the therapy of cancer. These targets include the activation of apoptosis; suppression of growth factor expression or signalling; and downregulation of angiogenesis through inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor expression. Pharmacologically safe phytochemicals (including ursolic acid) have been identified from plants or their variant forms that can modulate these molecular targets. These phytochemicals also can reverse chemoresistance and radioresistance. Because of their pharmacological safety, these agents can be used alone to prevent cancer and in combination with chemotherapy to treat cancer.
SCIENTIFIC STUDY
-
Apoptotic Activity of Ursolic Acid May Correlate with the Inhibition of Initiation of DNA Replication
Ursolic acid has anti-tumor activity, including inhibition of skin tumorigenesis, inhibition of tumor promotion, and induction of tumor cell differentiation. Ursolic acid also inhibits tumor invasion and metastasis. Results suggest that ursolic acid induces cell death through apoptosis. Apoptosis plays important roles in the control of various biological systems. Ursolic acid might induce cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis by blocking the formation of DNA–protein complexes which are required to establish replication forks.
SCIENTIFIC STUDY
-
An Apple A Day (Reduces Muscle Wasting)
Researchers have discovered that ursolic acid – a substance found in the peel – has natural body building qualities. In experiments they discovered that it boosts muscle growth by up to 15 per cent and reduces body fat by more than a half. It also has health giving properties – reducing blood sugar levels, cholesterol and harmful fatty acids. The study, published in the latest issue of the journal Cell Metabolism, showed that ursolic acid reduced muscle wasting in mice.
-
Antiangiogenic Activity of Ursolic Acid
Angiogenesis, the formation of new capillaries from preexisting vessels, is essential for tumor progression. Ursolic acid inhibited the tumor-associated capillary formation in mice induced by highly metastatic melanoma cells. The levels of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), NO, and proinflammatory cytokines were significantly reduced in ursolic acid-treated animals compared with those in control animals. The above observation shows the antiangiogenic activity of ursolic acid.
SCIENTIFIC STUDY
-
Proliferation-Inhibiting and Apoptosis-Inducing Effects of Ursolic Acid and Oleanolic Acid on Multi-Drug Resistance Cancer Cells
Both ursolic acid and oleanolic acid have antitumor effects on cancer cells with multi-drug resistance, and the optimal effect is shown by ursolic acid on colonic cancer cells. Also, ursolic acid shows cell apoptosis-inducing effect.
SCIENTIFIC STUDY
-
The Effects of Ursolic Acid on the Infectivity of the SV40 Virus (Youtube video)
Presentation of the results of research study.
SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATION
-
Ursolic Acid: Excitement in Allergy, Inflammation and Cancer Management
Ursolic acid is a component of many herbs that seems to have a protective effect versus inflammation and its various ramifications. Ursolic acid appears to inhibit the creation of an enzyme called cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) at the DNA level. Cells like macrophages and epithelial tissue create COX-2 when encountering inflammation. Inflammatory messengers are a key component of allergies and autoimmune conditions where the body's defenses attack itself.
-
Ursolic Acid Ameliorates Cognition Deficits and Attenuates Oxidative Damage in the Brain
The pharmacological action of ursolic acid may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of age-related conditions.
SCIENTIFIC STUDY
Statements on this website have NOT been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are NOT intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease; research is ongoing. All third-party health topic links provided on this website are for information purposes only. Always consult your doctor or nutritionist about any health or nutrition-related questions you might have.