Ursolic Acid

A pentacyclic triterpenoid with diverse biological activities; inhibits the proliferation of HepG2 liver, MCF-7 breast, and Caco-2 colon cancer cells (EC50s = 87.4, 14.4, and 34.4 µM, respectively); reverses increases in hepatic steatosis, levels of hepatic triglycerides and free fatty acids, and hepatic TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner in a high-fat diet-induced rat model of NAFLD; scavenges DPPH radicals (IC50 = 59.7 µg/ml); inhibits the growth of several strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in vitro including S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, and S. flexneri (MICs = 32-512 µg/ml)