Molecular pharmacology and therapeutic advances of the pentacyclic triterpene lupeol

Abdullah Al Mamun Sohag; Md Tahmeed Hossain; Md Arifur Rahaman; Papia Rahman; Mohammad Shahinul Hasan; Rakhal Chandra Das; Md Kibria Khan; Mahmudul Hasan Sikder; Mahboob Alam; Md Jamal Uddin; Md Hasanur Rahman; Md Tahjib-Ul-Arif; Tofazzal Islam; Il Soo Moon; Md Abdul Hannan

doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154012

Molecular pharmacology and therapeutic advances of the pentacyclic triterpene lupeol

Phytomedicine. 2022 May:99:154012. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154012. Epub 2022 Mar 3.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh.
² Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh.
³ Department of Pharmacy, BGC Trust University Bangladesh, Chittagong, Bangladesh.
⁴ Department of Pharmacy, Stamford University Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
⁵ Department of Pharmacology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh.
⁶ Department of Anatomy, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju 38066, Korea; Division of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Dongguk University, Gyeongju, 780-714, Korea.
⁷ ABEx Bio-Research Center, East Azampur, Dhaka-1230, Bangladesh; Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Korea.
⁸ Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, Bangladesh.
⁹ Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (IBGE), Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur 1706, Bangladesh.
¹⁰ Department of Anatomy, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju 38066, Korea.
¹¹ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh. Electronic address: hannanbmb@bau.edu.bd.

PMID: 35286936
DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154012

Abstract

Background: Plant triterpenoids are major sources of nutraceuticals that provide many health benefits to humans. Lupeol is one of the pentacyclic dietary triterpenoids commonly found in many fruits and vegetables, which is highly investigated for its pharmacological effect and benefit to human health.

Purpose: This systematic review critically discussed the potential pharmacological benefits of lupeol and its derivatives as evidenced by various cellular and animal model studies. To gain insight into the pharmacological effects of lupeol, the network pharmacological approach is applied. Pharmacokinetics and recent developments in nanotechnology-based approaches to targeted delivery of lupeol along with its safety use are also discussed.

Methods: This study is dependent on the systematic and non-exhaustive literature survey for related research articles, papers, and books on the chemistry, pharmacological benefits, pharmacokinetics, and safety of lupeol published between 2011 and 2021. For online materials, the popular academic search engines viz. Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, ResearchGate, Springer, as well as official websites were explored with selected keywords.

Results: Lupeol has shown promising benefits in the management of cancer and many other human diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, kidney and liver problems, skin diseases, and neurological disorders. The pharmacological effects of lupeol primarily rely on its capacity to revitalize the cellular antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic mechanisms. Network pharmacological approach revealed some prospective molecular targets and pathways and presented some significant information that could help explain the pharmacological effects of lupeol and its derivatives. Despite significant progress in molecular pharmacology, the clinical application of lupeol is limited due to poor bioavailability and insufficient knowledge on its mode of action. Structural modification and nanotechnology-guided targeted delivery of lupeol improve the bioavailability and bioactivity of lupeol.

Conclusion: The pentacyclic triterpene lupeol possesses numerous human health-benefiting properties. This review updates current knowledge and critically discusses the pharmacological effects and potential applications of lupeol and its derivatives in human health and diseases. Future studies are needed to evaluate the efficacies of lupeol and its derivatives in the management and pathobiology of human diseases.

Keywords: Bioavailability; Health effects; Lupeol; Nanoparticles; Network pharmacology; Triterpenoid.

Publication types

Review