Lupeol is a pharmacologically active pentacyclic triterpenoid. It has several potential medicinal properties, like anticancer and anti-inflammatory activity.[1]
In 2009, Surendra and Corey reported a more efficient and enantioselective total synthesis of lupeol, starting from (1E,5E)-8-[(2S)-3,3-dimethyloxiran-2-yl]-2,6-dimethylocta-1,5-dienyl acetate by use of a polycyclization.[4]
Biosynthesis
Lupeol is produced by several organisms from squalene epoxide. Dammarane and baccharane skeletons are formed as intermediates. The reactions are catalyzed by the enzyme lupeol synthase.[5] A recent study on the metabolomics of Camellia japonica leaf revealed that lupeol is produced from squalene epoxide where squalene play the role as a precursor.[1]
Pharmacology
Lupeol has a complex pharmacology, displaying antiprotozoal, antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, antitumor and chemopreventive properties.[6]
Animal models suggest lupeol may act as an anti-inflammatory agent. A 1998 study found lupeol to decrease paw swelling in rats by 39%, compared to 35% for the standardized control compound indomethacin.[7]
^Stork G, Uyeo S, Wakamatsu T, Grieco P, Labovitz J (1971). "Total synthesis of lupeol". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 93 (19): 4945. doi:10.1021/ja00748a068.
^Surendra K, Corey EJ (October 2009). "A short enantioselective total synthesis of the fundamental pentacyclic triterpene lupeol". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 131 (39): 13928–9. doi:10.1021/ja906335u. PMID19788328.
^ abMargareth B. C. Gallo; Miranda J. Sarachine (2009). "Biological activities of Lupeol"(PDF). International Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 3 (Special Issue 1): 46–66. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2010-10-25.
^Geetha T, Varalakshmi P (June 2001). "Anti-inflammatory activity of lupeol and lupeol linoleate in rats". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 76 (1): 77–80. doi:10.1016/S0378-8741(01)00175-1. PMID11378285.
^Nigam N, Prasad S, Shukla Y (November 2007). "Preventive effects of lupeol on DMBA induced DNA alkylation damage in mouse skin". Food and Chemical Toxicology. 45 (11): 2331–5. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2007.06.002. PMID17637493.
^Saleem M, Afaq F, Adhami VM, Mukhtar H (July 2004). "Lupeol modulates NF-kappaB and PI3K/Akt pathways and inhibits skin cancer in CD-1 mice". Oncogene. 23 (30): 5203–14. doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1207641. PMID15122342.
^Bani S, Kaul A, Khan B, Ahmad SF, Suri KA, Gupta BD, Satti NK, Qazi GN (April 2006). "Suppression of T lymphocyte activity by lupeol isolated from Crataeva religiosa". Phytotherapy Research. 20 (4): 279–87. doi:10.1002/ptr.1852. PMID16557610. S2CID34485412.