Ursolic Acid as a Trypanocidal Constituent in Rosemary

• Published in: Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin Vol. 25; no. 11; pp. 1485 - 1487
• Main Authors: Abe, Fumiko, Yamauchi, Tatsuo, Nagao, Tsuneatsu, Kinjo, Junei, Okabe, Hikaru, Higo, Hiroo, Akahane, Hiroshige
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan 01-11-2002; Maruzen; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Animals; betulinic acid; Biological and medical sciences; General pharmacology; Humans; Medical sciences; oleanolic acid; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Rosmarinus - chemistry; Rosmarinus officinalis; Triterpenes - chemistry; Triterpenes - isolation & purification; Triterpenes - pharmacology; trypanocidal activity; Trypanocidal Agents - chemistry; Trypanocidal Agents - isolation & purification; Trypanocidal Agents - pharmacology; Trypanosoma cruzi; Trypanosoma cruzi - drug effects; Trypanosoma cruzi - growth & development; Trypanosoma cruzi - isolation & purification; Ursolic Acid; Asia; Japan; Kinetoplastida; Protozoa; Drug susceptibility test; Pharmacognosy; Extract; Plant leaf; In vitro; Biological activity; Medicinal plant; Trypanosoma cruzi; Epimastigote; Folk medicine; Labiatae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Parasiticid; Minimum inhibitory concentration; Plant origin; Rosmarinus officinalis; Isolation; Active ingredient; Spermatophyta; Mechanism of action
• ISSN: 0918-6158; 1347-5215
• DOI: 10.1248/bpb.25.1485

The MeOH extract of the leaves of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) completely inhibited the motility of cultured epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi at the concentration of 2 mg/ml after 2 h of incubation. Activity-guided fractionation of the MeOH extract has resulted in the isolation of three triterpene acids, betulinic, oleanolic and ursolic acids. Ursolic acid stopped the movement of all T. cruzi epimastigotes at the minimum concentration (MC100) of 40 μg/ml (88 μM) after 48 h of incubation. Oleanolic acid was less active (MC100: 250 μg/ml, 550 μM) and betulinic acid was practically inactive.