Nonenzymatic Antioxidative and Antiglycative Effects of Oleanolic Acid and Ursolic Acid

Oleanolic acid and ursolic acid are two triterpenes presented in several herbs. This study analyzed the content of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid in eight locally available fresh herbs, also examined several nonenzymatic antioxidant activities of these two triterpenes, and used a liposome system to evaluate the influence of temperature and pH upon the antioxidant property of these two triterpenes. The impact of these two triterpenes on the production of nonenzymatic glycative products, pentosidine and carboxymethyllysine (CML), was also evaluated. α-Tocopherol was used for comparison. Results showed that the content of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid in glossy privet fruit and hawthorn fruit varied from season to season and was in the range of 200−650 μg/g of fresh weight. Both oleanolic acid and ursolic acid possessed greater antioxidant activity against 2,2‘-azobis-(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride and less antioxidant activity against 2,2‘-azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) when compared with α-tocoph...