Ursolic Acid Derivatives Down Regulate Inflammatory Mediators

Ursolic acid (UA) is being investigated due to its anti-inflammatory potential, and structural modifications can enhance its biological activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunomodulatory effect of the ursolic acid derivatives (UAD) in macrophages and in the carrageenan-induced paw edema model. RAW264.7 cells were cultured in the presence or absence of UA or UAD (1-18). Nitric oxide (NO), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and cellular viability were measured. 30 min before the carrageenan-induced paw edema, the UAD1 and UAD2 (200 mg kg-1) were administered intraperitoneally. The results showed that UAD2-4, UAD7, UAD9-11 had half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) greater than 90 µM and were able to reduce NO, NF-κB and TNF production. Moreover, UAD1 and UAD2 reduced paw edema and IL-6 production. In conclusion, the results obtained demonstrated a variation in the response between the derivatives due to the chemical modifications, showing potential to reduce the inflammatory mediators, deserving further investigations.