Ursolic acid (UA) is a well-studied natural pentacyclic triterpenoid found in herbs, fruit and a number of traditional Chinese medicinal plants. UA has a broad range of biological activities and numerous potential health benefits.

Uses

Ursolic acid (UA), a triterpenoid compound (molecular weight: 456.7) naturally present in fruit peels and in many herbs and spices, has been widely used as an herbal medicine with a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities. UA is a safe and effective treatment in several inflammatory diseases or related experimental models, including Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, diabetes, and myasthenia gravis. UA administration before disease onset also prevents EAE development by inhibiting Th17 cell differentiation. In addition, UA has been shown to attenuate neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. However, the effect of UA treatment on oligodendrocyte development and remyelination in ongoing and chronic EAE is not known.

Sources of ursolic acid

A wide variety of plants, fruits, and flowers contain varying amounts of ursolic acid. Certain parts of the plant (like the leaves, bark, and fruit skin) sometimes contain more ursolic acid.

Some sources of ursolic acid include:

Apple skin

Marjoram leaves

Rosemary leaves

Oregano leaves

Sage leaves

Thyme leaves

Lavender leaves and flowers

Hawthorn leaves and flowers

Eucalyptus leaves and bark

Coffee leaves