Research progress on pharmacological activities of betulinic acid / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Betulinic acid (BA) is a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpene that is widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom. A variety of pharmacological activities have been ascribed to BA, including antitumor, anti-HIV, immunomodulatory, anti-oxidative, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antihelmintic activities. BA is a very promising new chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of HIV infection and cancer due to the greater potencies and better therapeutic indices than some clinically used drugs. Notably, BA may play an increasingly important role in immune regulation and against oxidative damage as an immunomodulator and anti-oxidant. The pharmacological activities of BA are reviewed which provide a reference for the future research and utilization of BA.