Oleanolic acid (OA) is a typical pentacyclic triterpenoid compound, occupying a unique position within the vast family of phytochemicals. Its molecular formula is C₃₀H₄₈O₃, with a molecular weight of 456.71. This precise molecular structure is like the foundation of a solid “chemical edifice.” Its chemical structure, based on the oleanane core, resembles the main framework of a building, while the hydroxyl group at position 3 and the carboxyl group at position 28 are key components within this framework, acting as the key active groups that determine its activity. The presence of these groups endows OA with unique chemical reactivity and physiological functions.
Physically, oleanolic acid appears as white needle-shaped crystals or powder. This pure appearance resembles a pure gift from nature. However, it is poorly soluble in water, with an extremely low solubility of less than 0.1 mg per milliliter. This is like dropping sand into water; it’s difficult to make it completely dissolve. However, it is readily soluble in organic solvents such as methanol and ethanol, blending readily with these solvents, like a wanderer finding a familiar home. This characteristic is crucial for its extraction and formulation.
Its melting point is between 283 and 288°C. This high melting point indicates its high stability, similar to a determined individual who maintains their steadfastness under normal conditions. However, it also has its weaknesses: it must be stored away from light, as light can damage its structure and affect its stability, much like delicate flowers needing to avoid direct sunlight. Under alkaline conditions, oleanolic acid can form water-soluble salts. This transformation acts as a unique “coat” that allows it to move freely in water, greatly expanding its applications in pharmaceuticals and biomedicine.
Oleanolic acid is found in over 2,000 plant species, making it a valuable resource in the botanical world. Among its numerous sources, Ligustrum lucidum fruit, olive leaves, and Sophora japonica seeds stand out as key sources. The fruit of Ligustrum lucidum contains a rich oleanolic acid content, as high as 6%-12%, making it a treasure trove. Olive leaves, while containing relatively low levels, still contain 1%-2%, making them a significant resource. Sophora japonica seeds, with a concentration between 2% and 5%, also contribute significantly to the production of oleanolic acid. These plants are not only important sources of oleanolic acid but also possess both medicinal and edible properties, making them truly versatile.
Among medicinal plants, the whole herb of Gentianaceae and the tuberous roots of Cucurbitaceae (such as the genus Rhizoma Corydalis) are traditional raw materials for extraction. The whole herb of Gentianaceae acts as a natural “pharmacy,” providing a rich resource for extracting oleanolic acid. The tuberous roots of the genus Rhizoma Corydalis have also proven their value as a source of oleanolic acid through long-standing medicinal practice. They play a vital role in traditional medicine, bringing hope for health to countless patients. In the realm of medicine and food, while apple and pear peels, as well as olive leaves, contain only trace amounts of OA, these seemingly insignificant amounts are driving the application of oleanolic acid in functional foods. Imagine savoring apples and pears while lurking within their peels, these ingredients possess special benefits, silently contributing to our health. Oleanolic acid, found in olive leaves, is also emerging as a promising candidate in the development of functional foods, offering new options for those pursuing a healthier lifestyle.
Multi-target-driven bioactive network
Liver protection: from injury repair to fibrosis reversal
In the field of liver protection, oleanolic acid is a shining star. With its unique triple mechanism of “antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and pro-regenerative” activities, it provides a strong defense for liver health and plays a key role in the treatment of various liver diseases.
Oxidative stress is like an invisible killer of liver health, generating large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These ROS attack liver cells, leading to lipid peroxidation, like a raging fire within liver cells, causing severe damage. Oleanolic acid, like a heroic “firefighter,” activates the Nrf2/ARE pathway, effectively pressing the “start button” on the intracellular antioxidant defense system, significantly increasing the activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). These antioxidant enzymes, like well-trained “firefighters,” rapidly clear ROS from liver cells and reduce oxidative damage. Oleanolic acid also effectively reduces malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, a product of lipid peroxidation. Its reduction means that “fire damage” within liver cells is effectively controlled, significantly alleviating oxidative stress damage to liver cells.
Liver fibrosis is a dangerous stage in the progression of liver disease. It is like the continuous proliferation of “scar tissue” within the liver, seriously affecting normal liver function and even potentially progressing to cirrhosis. Oleanolic acid has demonstrated strong efficacy in combating liver fibrosis by downregulating the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway, effectively severing the “fuse” that triggers the development of liver fibrosis. Through this action, oleanolic acid reduces the synthesis of extracellular matrix such as collagen and inhibits the activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells, thereby effectively suppressing liver fibrosis. In an animal model of carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis, oleanolic acid inhibited liver fibrosis by as much as 40%-50%, demonstrating its significant efficacy in treating liver fibrosis. Promoting liver cell regeneration is another important mechanism by which oleanolic acid protects the liver. When the liver is damaged, the regenerative capacity of liver cells is crucial for restoring liver function. Oleanolic acid acts like a “cell regeneration commander,” stimulating DNA synthesis in liver cells, providing ample “raw materials” for their division and proliferation. In related experiments, rats treated with oleanolic acid showed a significant increase in nuclear division in residual liver tissue, with regeneration rates increasing by 30% compared to the control group. This indicates that oleanolic acid significantly promotes liver cell regeneration, accelerating liver tissue repair and functional recovery.
Anti-Inflammation and Immune Regulation: Multi-Pathway Inhibition and Bidirectional Regulation
The inflammatory response plays a crucial role in the development and progression of many diseases. It is like a “double-edged sword.” Moderate inflammation is a self-protective mechanism of the body, but excessive inflammation can cause severe damage to tissues and organs, much like an uncontrolled fire can burn down a house. Oleanolic acid exhibits excellent anti-inflammatory properties, primarily by blocking the inflammatory cascade. Inhibiting the NF-κB pathway is one of its key anti-inflammatory mechanisms. NF-κB is a crucial transcription factor that acts as the “commander-in-chief” of the inflammatory response. Once activated, it triggers the release of a series of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), triggering a strong inflammatory response. Oleanolic acid can inhibit NF-κB activation, effectively placing a “tight ring” around the “commander-in-chief,” preventing it from issuing pro-inflammatory commands. This effectively reduces the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and alleviates the inflammatory response. In experimental arthritis models, oleanolic acid inhibited joint swelling by up to 50%, demonstrating its potent anti-inflammatory properties.
Immune regulation is a crucial physiological process for maintaining overall health. The immune system acts as the body’s “defense force,” requiring a balanced balance to effectively defend against invading pathogens and prevent the development of autoimmune diseases. Oleanolic acid exerts a bidirectional regulatory effect in immune regulation, demonstrating its unique “intelligence.” On the one hand, it enhances the phagocytic function of macrophages, the “phagocytic pioneers” of the immune system. Oleanolic acid can increase the phagocytic index of macrophages by 25%, enabling them to more effectively engulf pathogens and foreign matter, thereby strengthening the body’s immune defenses. On the other hand, oleanolic acid can inhibit the overactivation of T cells. T cells play a key regulatory role in the immune system, but overactivated T cells can attack self-tissues and trigger autoimmune diseases. Oleanolic acid acts like a “brake” on overactive T cells, maintaining their activity at a moderate level, thereby maintaining the balance of the immune system. In a model of autoimmune liver injury, oleanolic acid effectively ameliorated immune damage to the liver and protected liver function through this dual regulatory effect.
Anti-tumor Potential: Targeted Apoptosis Induction and Cycle Arrest
In the field of anti-tumor therapy, oleanolic acid has demonstrated remarkable potential. Like a precise “anti-cancer weapon,” it exhibits broad-spectrum inhibitory activity against a variety of tumor cells, offering new hope for cancer treatment.
Inducing tumor cell apoptosis is one of the key mechanisms of oleanolic acid’s anti-tumor effects. Apoptosis is a programmed cell death process, like a cellular “self-destruction program.” Under normal circumstances, apoptosis helps the body eliminate damaged or abnormal cells and maintain a healthy balance. However, tumor cells often evade apoptosis, allowing them to continue to proliferate and spread. Oleanolic acid can disrupt this “evasion mechanism” of tumor cells by upregulating the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins such as Bax and Cleaved-Caspase-3, acting as a “self-destruction switch” for tumor cells. It also downregulates the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2, acting as a “survival shield” for tumor cells, thereby inducing apoptosis. In studies of lung cancer A-549 cells and liver cancer HepG2 cells, oleanolic acid demonstrated significant pro-apoptotic effects, with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀) ranging from 20-40μM, indicating that oleanolic acid can effectively induce apoptosis in tumor cells at relatively low concentrations.
In addition to inducing apoptosis, oleanolic acid can also inhibit tumor cell proliferation by arresting the cell cycle. The cell cycle acts like a “clock” for cell growth and division. While the normal cell cycle is strictly regulated, tumor cells often experience disruptions in their cycle, leading to uncontrolled proliferation. Oleanolic acid can arrest tumor cells at the G2/M phase, essentially pausing the cell cycle “clock” at this stage, preventing them from successfully entering the division phase and thereby inhibiting their proliferation. In an S180 sarcoma xenograft model, a 200mg/kg dose of oleanolic acid resulted in a 45% tumor inhibition rate, strongly demonstrating its inhibitory effect on tumor growth in vivo.
From Traditional Processes to Green Innovation
Traditional Methods: Bottlenecks of Solvent Extraction and Alkali Extraction and Acid Precipitation
Traditional oleanolic acid extraction methods primarily include solvent extraction and alkaline extraction and acid precipitation. These methods have played an important role in the history of oleanolic acid extraction, laying the foundation for subsequent research and application. However, they also face some significant bottlenecks.
Solvent reflux is a common solvent extraction method, using 70%-95% ethanol as the solvent. This choice is primarily based on the solubility of oleanolic acid in organic solvents such as ethanol. In practice, the material-to-liquid ratio is typically controlled between 1:15-20, much like preparing a specific “solution.” The optimal ratio ensures optimal extraction. Extraction typically takes 8-12 hours. This long extraction time not only consumes a significant amount of energy, like a continuously running machine, consuming significant amounts of electricity, but also results in low production efficiency, making it unsuitable for large-scale production. The yield of this method is relatively low, reaching only 3%-5%. Furthermore, during the extraction process, the lack of solvent selectivity can easily introduce impurities such as fatty acids and chlorophyll. These impurities, like sand mixed into the “treasure,” present significant challenges for subsequent separation and purification.
Alkali extraction and acid precipitation are another traditional extraction method. They exploit the fact that oleanolic acid forms water-soluble salts under alkaline conditions and precipitates under acidic conditions. The process begins by dissolving the oleanolic acid in the plant material with a sodium hydroxide solution. This step is like placing the “treasure” into a special “dissolution tank,” allowing it to “swim” freely in the solution. Then, hydrochloric acid is added to adjust the pH to 2-3, causing the oleanolic acid to precipitate, essentially allowing the “treasure” to “reappear” from the solution. This method offers certain advantages in removing water-soluble impurities and can provide a preliminary cleansing of the extract. However, strict pH control is required during the process, as excessively high or low pH values can damage the oleanolic acid structure and affect its quality. Furthermore, under acidic conditions, the hydroxyl groups of oleanolic acid may undergo oxidation, which, like a layer of rust on a treasure, reduces the quality of the product. Therefore, this method is generally only suitable for preliminary impurity removal and cannot meet the demand for high-purity oleanolic acid.
Modern Technology: A Strategy for Improving Efficiency and Purity
With the continuous advancement of science and technology, modern extraction and purification technologies have brought new hope to the preparation of oleanolic acid. These technologies have demonstrated significant advantages in improving extraction efficiency and product purity, providing strong support for the large-scale production and widespread application of oleanolic acid.
Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) is a modern technology that utilizes the unique effects of ultrasound to enhance the extraction process. Regarding process parameters, the ultrasonic power is generally set at 300-500W. This power range acts as an optimal “energy level” for the ultrasound, effectively promoting the dissolution of oleanolic acid. The extraction temperature is controlled at 50-60°C, which is neither too high to destroy the oleanolic acid structure nor too low to affect the extraction effect. Requiring only 30 minutes, the extraction process is significantly shortened compared to traditional solvent reflux methods, effectively accelerating the extraction process. The optimized material-to-liquid ratio of 1:10 allows for more complete solvent contact with the raw material, improving extraction efficiency. Advantageously, the yield is increased by 20%-30% compared to traditional methods, while impurity levels are reduced by 15%. This significant improvement makes ultrasound-assisted extraction highly promising for industrial-scale primary extraction, providing higher-quality raw materials for subsequent purification steps.
Supercritical CO₂ extraction (SFE-CO₂) is an advanced technology that utilizes supercritical CO₂ as an extraction solvent. Key requirements include the use of 5%-10% ethanol as an entrainer, which acts as a guide, helping the CO₂ dissolve oleanolic acid. Under controlled pressures of 25-30 MPa and temperatures of 40-50°C, CO₂ exhibits unique solubility properties, resulting in strong selectivity for oleanolic acid. This technology offers significant advantages, achieving oleanolic acid purity exceeding 90% with no residual solvent, resulting in a highly pure product particularly suitable for the preparation of pharmaceutical-grade raw materials. However, the high cost associated with large equipment investments and demanding operating conditions has limited its large-scale application.
Macroporous resin purification is a commonly used purification technique. Regarding resin selection, D101/AB-8 polar resins demonstrate excellent performance, acting as “impurity filters” that effectively adsorb impurities and retain oleanolic acid. Elution is typically performed with 50%-70% ethanol, which optimally elutes oleanolic acid from the resin. After purification with macroporous resin, the purity of oleanolic acid can be increased from 30% to over 98%, with a recovery rate of 85%. This remarkable purification effect makes macroporous resin purification a core technology for industrial purification and plays a vital role in the production process of oleanolic acid.
Diverse Application Areas: From Clinical Treatment to Functional Products
Pharmaceutical Field: Adjunctive Treatment for Liver Disease and Synergistic Anti-tumor Effects
Clinical Applications in Liver Disease: Oleanolic acid has demonstrated significant clinical value in the treatment of liver disease, becoming an important adjunctive therapy for liver disease. Oleanolic acid tablets (20 mg per tablet, taken three times daily) are a common treatment option for patients with acute and chronic hepatitis. Clinical studies have shown that this regimen can achieve a 60%-70% normalization rate for alanine aminotransferase (ALT), effectively lowering ALT levels and alleviating liver inflammation. When oleanolic acid is combined with inosine, its enzyme-lowering effect is significantly enhanced, increasing by 30% compared to oleanolic acid alone. This is like two “therapeutic partners” working together to safeguard liver health.
Oleanolic acid also plays an important role in preventing hepatic encephalopathy. Hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a complication that can occur when liver disease reaches its advanced stages, can lead to cognitive decline and severely impact patients’ quality of life. Oleanolic acid can reduce brain homogenate tyrosine levels, effectively cutting off the “raw material supply” for the production of false neurotransmitters. This inhibits the production of false neurotransmitters, improves cognitive function, and provides a new approach for the prevention and treatment of HE.
2. Anti-tumor Adjuvant: In anti-tumor treatment, the combination of oleanolic acid and chemotherapy drugs offers new hope for cancer patients. Many tumor cells develop resistance to chemotherapy drugs, akin to donning a “resistance armor” that significantly reduces the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Oleanolic acid, by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway, effectively reverses this resistance and enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy. Oleanolic acid can also reduce the renal toxicity of the chemotherapy drug cisplatin. In an animal study, mice treated with a combination of cisplatin and oleanolic acid showed significant reductions in oxidative stress markers in their kidney tissue, demonstrating that oleanolic acid can mitigate cisplatin-induced oxidative damage to the kidneys and protect renal function. This allows patients receiving chemotherapy to improve treatment efficacy while reducing the side effects of chemotherapy drugs, thereby enhancing their quality of life.
Cosmetics and Personal Care: Anti-Aging and Barrier Repair
Anti-Aging: In the cosmetics and personal care sector, oleanolic acid, due to its excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, has become a key active ingredient in many high-end skincare products, providing strong support for anti-aging and barrier repair. With aging, skin gradually loses elasticity, developing wrinkles and other signs of aging. Oleanolic acid acts as a “guardian of youth” for the skin, promoting collagen synthesis in the dermis and increasing type I collagen content by 20%. This injects new “elasticity” into the skin, making it firmer and more supple. It also improves wrinkle depth, reducing it by 15%-20%, restoring a youthful glow. Chanel’s Blue Essence uses oleanolic acid as a core ingredient, leveraging its powerful anti-aging properties to deliver an exceptional skincare experience.
Problem Skin Care: Oleanolic acid also demonstrates excellent results for problematic skin conditions such as acne and seborrheic dermatitis. These problematic skin conditions are often accompanied by excessive sebum secretion and inflammation, causing numerous challenges for patients. Oleanolic acid inhibits 5α-reductase activity by 30%, acting like a “control valve” on the sebum secretion switch, reducing sebum production and alleviating symptoms at the source. Furthermore, it reduces inflammation in acne and seborrheic dermatitis by up to 60%, effectively alleviating inflammation and promoting skin repair and recovery. (III) Health Supplements and Functional Foods: A New Direction in Metabolic Regulation
Lowering Blood Sugar/Lipids: Oleanolic acid is gradually emerging in the health supplement and functional food sectors, offering new options for health management. With rising living standards, the incidence of metabolic diseases such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia is increasing, posing a serious threat to people’s health. Oleanolic acid can regulate the AMPK pathway, activating an intracellular “energy metabolism switch,” promoting glucose transport and increasing cellular glucose uptake and utilization, thereby lowering blood sugar levels. Clinical studies have shown that after eight weeks of continuous use of health supplements containing oleanolic acid, subjects’ triglycerides decreased by 12%. This result demonstrates that oleanolic acid is also effective in regulating blood lipids. It is particularly suitable for people with prediabetes, helping them improve their metabolic status and prevent further disease progression.
Immune Enhancement: Oleanolic acid also has immune-boosting effects, increasing lymphocyte proliferation by 25%, effectively injecting powerful “fighting power” into the immune system’s “soldiers,” enhancing the body’s immunity. As a natural immunomodulator, oleanolic acid is widely added to dietary supplements to help boost immunity and prevent disease. During seasonal changes and when immunity weakens, dietary supplements containing oleanolic acid can provide additional protection and promote healthier living.
Industry Status and Future Trends: Challenges and Innovation Paths
Market Landscape and Key Players
Oleanolic acid is gradually emerging on the global market stage, demonstrating its unique commercial appeal. By 2024, the Chinese oleanolic acid market had reached 130 million yuan, a figure that, like a shining star, traces a brilliant trajectory across the market sky. Even more exciting, the market size is expected to continue to rise through 2031, with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) exceeding 8% between 2025 and 2031. This unstoppable growth trend, like a high-speed train, is injecting powerful momentum into the development of the oleanolic acid industry.
From a regional perspective, the Asia-Pacific region is undoubtedly the “giant” in the oleanolic acid market, accounting for 66% of the global market share, standing tall at the top of the global market like a towering mountain. This dominant position is not only reflected in production. The Asia-Pacific region’s abundant botanical resources, such as Ligustrum lucidum and olive leaves, provide unique conditions for oleanolic acid extraction, like a vast treasure trove bestowed by nature. In the consumer sector, the region’s vast population and growing health needs have also led to continued strong demand for oleanolic acid. People’s pursuit of health, like a yearning for light, has laid a solid foundation for the oleanolic acid market’s prosperity. The European and American markets also hold significant positions in the global oleanolic acid market, accounting for approximately 19% and 12% of the market share, respectively. Like two shining stars, they radiate a unique brilliance in the global market.
In this fiercely competitive market, a few core manufacturers have emerged as industry leaders. Shaanxi Fuheng Biotechnology is one such company. The company specializes in extracting oleanolic acid from olive leaves. Its 3,000-acre olive plantation in Longnan, Gansu, functions as a green “raw material factory,” ensuring quality and stability from the source. The company strictly adheres to GMP production controls and can process up to 600 tons of raw materials annually. Leveraging advanced imported testing equipment and a professional technical team, they ensure high product quality, including low pesticide and solvent residues and high purity, earning them a strong reputation in the market.
Sabinsa is a global enterprise with a broad business scope encompassing the R&D, production, and sales of oleanolic acid. Leveraging its strong technical capabilities and extensive market channels, the company has secured a significant position in the global oleanolic acid market, like a giant ship sailing through the seas of commerce, reaching the world.
Furuitang Pharmaceutical has excelled in the development of oleanolic acid formulations, and its oleanolic acid formulations have enjoyed high market recognition. The company continuously increases its R&D investment, striving to develop more effective and safe oleanolic acid formulations to provide patients with better treatment options, like a diligent craftsman meticulously crafting each product. These three leading companies hold a combined market share of 46%, forming the “first tier” of the market. Their competition and cooperation in technological innovation, product quality, and market expansion are driving the development of the oleanolic acid industry, like three horses pulling the industry forward.
Technical Bottlenecks and Breakthroughs
Although oleanolic acid has demonstrated tremendous application potential in various fields, it currently faces several technical bottlenecks. These bottlenecks act as stumbling blocks, hindering the further development of the oleanolic acid industry.
Water solubility is a major challenge facing oleanolic acid. Due to its poor water solubility, its oral bioavailability is extremely low, typically less than 10%, placing a heavy shackle on its application. To overcome this obstacle, researchers are actively exploring new technologies and approaches. Nanoliposome technology is one such approach. Nanoliposomes act as tiny “transport vehicles” that can encapsulate oleanolic acid, improving its solubility and stability in water. By encapsulating oleanolic acid in nanoliposomes, its bioavailability can be increased by 3-5 times. This significant improvement offers new hope for the development of oral formulations for oleanolic acid.
Cyclodextrin inclusion technology is also an effective approach to addressing water solubility issues. β-cyclodextrin can form an inclusion complex with oleanolic acid, encapsulating the hydrophobic portion of oleanolic acid within its cavity while exposing the hydrophilic groups. This significantly improves oleanolic acid’s water solubility and dispersibility. Oleanolic acid-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes prepared by coprecipitation have a 10-15-fold increase in water solubility compared to oleanolic acid monomers. They also effectively reduce the decomposition and loss of oleanolic acid during storage and use, extending its duration of action.
Raw material standardization is also a pressing issue in the development of the oleanolic acid industry. Currently, the cultivation of Ligustrum lucidum fruit and olive leaves, the main raw materials for oleanolic acid, is fragmented and lacks standardized management. This results in large fluctuations in oleanolic acid content, generally ranging from 6% to 12%. Furthermore, the levels of pesticide residues and other harmful substances are difficult to control, with some raw materials containing pesticide residues exceeding 0.1 ppm. This not only affects oleanolic acid extraction efficiency and product quality, but also poses a potential threat to consumer health.
To address this issue, establishing GAP (Good Agricultural Practice) cultivation bases for Ligustrum lucidum fruit and olive leaves is crucial. Within GAP cultivation bases, every process, from seed selection and cultivation environment control to fertilization and pest and disease control, is managed in strict accordance with standardized operating procedures. Precise soil testing and fertilization regulation ensure sufficient nutrients for plant growth. Green pest control technologies, such as biological and physical pest control, effectively control pests and diseases and reduce pesticide use, thereby ensuring the stability and consistency of oleanolic acid content in the raw materials. Meanwhile, pesticide residue levels are kept to extremely low levels, ensuring product safety and consistent quality. (III) Frontier Research Directions
In cutting-edge research, oleanolic acid presents a broad potential for development, with a series of innovative research directions creating new opportunities for its application expansion.
Targeted drug design is a key area of current oleanolic acid research. Based on the structure of oleanolic acid, researchers have developed highly selective NF-κB inhibitors through chemical modification. For example, by introducing a Cy3.5-labeled derivative into the structure of oleanolic acid, a novel oleanolic acid derivative was successfully developed. This derivative not only specifically inhibits the NF-κB pathway but also can be used for tumor imaging. In tumor cells, the NF-κB pathway is often overactivated, leading to tumor proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. This novel oleanolic acid derivative acts like a precise “scalpel,” specifically inhibiting the NF-κB pathway and blocking tumor cell growth signals. Simultaneously, leveraging the fluorescence properties of Cy3.5, it enables precise imaging of tumor cells, providing a new approach for early diagnosis and treatment of tumors.
Developing new indications is also a hot topic in oleanolic acid research. In addition to its application in liver disease treatment, researchers are exploring the potential of oleanolic acid in treating atherosclerosis and diabetic nephropathy. Regarding atherosclerosis, oleanolic acid can inhibit the oxidation of OX-LDL (oxidized low-density lipoprotein), reducing its damage to vascular endothelial cells, thereby delaying the progression of atherosclerosis. In an animal study, mice treated with oleanolic acid showed a significant reduction in the area of lipid plaques in their vascular walls, demonstrating its significant anti-atherosclerotic effects.
Regarding diabetic nephropathy, oleanolic acid can protect renal tubular epithelial cells, inhibiting apoptosis and inflammation, thereby improving renal function. Diabetic nephropathy is a common complication of diabetes, severely impacting patients’ quality of life and prognosis. This activity of oleanolic acid provides new insights into the treatment of diabetic nephropathy and is expected to advance oleanolic acid from a traditional liver disease drug to a metabolic syndrome treatment, bringing health benefits to more patients. As a prime example of a natural medicine and functional ingredient, oleanolic acid, through its multi-target pharmacological activity and the integration of green extraction technologies, is driving its in-depth application in liver disease treatment, anti-aging, metabolic management, and other fields. With innovative delivery systems and in-depth research into its mechanisms, this natural ingredient is expected to evolve from a “liver disease adjuvant medication” to a core ingredient in “multi-scenario health solutions,” demonstrating its vast industrial value and scientific potential.
