Lupeol is a pharmacologically active triterpenoid

Triterpenoid

Triterpenoids are terpenoid derviatives of triterpene molecules.They may have useful anti-cancer properties.Notable examples*Betulinic acid, possible anti-cancer drug*Bardoxolone methyl, inflammation modulator*Triterpenoid saponins...

 found in a variety of plants, including mango

Mango

The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...

 and acacia visco

Acacia visco

Acacia visco is a perennial tree native to South America. It has also been introduced to Africa.Common names for it include Arca, Visco, Viscote, Viscote Blanco and Viscote Negro....

. It has several medicinal properties, one being anti-inflammatory. A 1998 study found lupeol to decrease paw swelling in rats by 39%, compared to 35% for the standardized control compound indomethacin.

Pharmacology

Lupeol has a complex pharmacology in humans, displaying antiprotozoal, antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, antitumor and chemopreventive properties. One study has also found some activity as a Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor and prolyl oligopeptidase inhibitor at high concentrations (in the millimolar range).

It is an effective inhibitor in laboratory models of prostate

Prostate

The prostate is a compound tubuloalveolar exocrine gland of the male reproductive system in most mammals....

 and skin cancer

Skin cancer

Skin neoplasms are skin growths with differing causes and varying degrees of malignancy. The three most common malignant skin cancers are basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, and melanoma, each of which is named after the type of skin cell from which it arises...

s.

Mechanism of action

As an anti-inflammatory agent, lupeol functions primarily on the interleukin

Interleukin

Interleukins are a group of cytokines that were first seen to be expressed by white blood cells . The term interleukin derives from "as a means of communication", and "deriving from the fact that many of these proteins are produced by leukocytes and act on leukocytes"...

 system. Bani et al. (2006) found lupeol to decrease IL-4 (interleukin 4) production by T-helper type 2 cells

T helper cell

T helper cells are a sub-group of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, that play an important role in the immune system, particularly in the adaptive immune system. These cells have no cytotoxic or phagocytic activity; they cannot kill infected host cells or pathogens. Rather, they help other...

.

Further reading

• Gallo, M.B.C. / Sarachine, M.J. “Biological Activities of Lupeol”, International Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences (2009),3 (Special Issue 1):46-66.
• Saleem, M. “Lupeol, a novel anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer dietary triterpene”, Cancer letters (2009),285(2):109-115.