Oleanolic acid is a naturally occurring triterpenoid, widely distributed in food and medicinal plants, related to betulinic acid. It can be found in Phytolacca americana (American pokeweed), and Syzygium spp, garlic, etc. It is relatively non-toxic, hepatoprotective, and exhibits antitumor and antiviral properties.Oleanolic acid was found to exhibit weak anti-HIV and weak anti-HCV activities, but more potent synthetic analogs are being investigated as potential drugs. An extremely potent synthetic triterpenoid analog of oleanolic acid was found in 2005, that is a powerful inhibitor of cellular inflammatory processes. They work by the induction by IFN- of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and of cyclooxygenase 2 in mouse macrophages. They are extremely potent inducers of the phase 2 response (e.g., elevation of NADH-quinone oxidoreductase and heme oxygenase 1), which is a major protector of cells against oxidative and electrophile stress.
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