The synthetic triterpenoid 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO) and its derivative 1-[2-cyano-3-,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oyl]imidazole (CDDO-Im) are multifunctional molecules with potent antiproliferative, differentiating, and anti-inflammatory activities. At nanomolar concentrations, these agents rapidly increase the expression of the cytoprotective heme oxygenase-1 ...

S.-K. Kim Specialized Graduate School & Technology Convergence, Department of Marine-Bio Convergence Science, Marine Bioprocess Research Center, Pukyong National University, Yongdong Campus, 365, Sinseon-ro, Nam-gu, Busan 608-739, Republic of Korea e-mail: [email protected] Abstract Natural products provide an important source of new therapeutic drugs and biochemical tools. In the last decades ...

The synthetic triterpenoid 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)dien-28-oic acid (CDDO) and its derivative 1-[2-cyano-3-,12dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oyl]imidazole (CDDO-Im) are multifunctional molecules with potent antiproliferative, differentiating, and anti-inflammatory activities. At nanomolar concentrations, these agents rapidly increase the expression of the cytoprotective heme oxygenase-1 (H...

Plant triterpenoids represent a large and structurally diverse class of natural products. A growing interest has been focused on triterpenoids over the past decade due to their beneficial effects on human health. We show here that these bioactive compounds are major constituents of several aerial parts (floral bud, leaf bud, stem, and leaf) of olive tree, a crop exploited so far almost exclusiv...

We tested members of two noncytotoxic classes of drugs, synthetic oleanane triterpenoids and rexinoids, both as individual agents and in combination, for the prevention and treatment of carcinogenesis in a highly relevant animal model of lung cancer. Lung adenocarcinomas were induced in A/J mice by injection of the carcinogen vinyl carbamate. Mice were fed drugs in diet, beginning 1 week after ...

Chemoprevention represents a strategy designed to protect cells or tissues against various carcinogens and carcinogenic metabolites derived from exogenous or endogenous sources. Recent studies indicate that plant-derived triterpenoids, like oleanolic acid, may exert cytoprotective functions via regulation of the activity of different transcription factors. The chemopreventive effects may be med...

Poria cocos (P. cocos) has long been used as traditional Chinese medicine and triterpenoids are the most important pharmacologically active constituents of this fungus. Farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPS) is a key enzyme of triterpenoids biosynthesis. The gene encoding FPS was cloned from P. cocos by degenerate PCR, inverse PCR and cassette PCR. The open reading frame of the gene is 1086 bp i...