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Cytotoxic activity of Perilla frutescens var. japonica leaf extract is due to high concentrations of oleanolic and ursolic acids

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Abstract

Three triterpene acids, ursolic acid (1), corosolic acid (2), and oleanolic acid (7), were isolated from the ethanol extract of leaves of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton var. japonica Hara (Labiatae; Japanese name: Egoma). These acids are the active principles responsible for the cytotoxicity against three cultured human tumor cell lines, HL-60 (leukemia carcinoma), MCF-7 (breast carcinoma), and Hep-G2 (hepatic carcinoma), with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 12–48 μM.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Dr. W. C. M. C. Kokke (Ardmore, Pa., USA), for reviewing the manuscript. This work was supported, in part, by a grant ‘Academic Frontier’ Project for Private Universities: Matching Fund Subsidy from MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology), 2002–2006.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Science and Technology, Nihon University, 1-8 Kanda Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-8308, Japan

    Toshihiro Akihisa, Hiroyuki Akazawa & Yosuke Taguchi

  2. College of Pharmacy, Nihon University, 7-7-1 Narashinodai, Funabashi, Chiba, 274-8555, Japan

    Satoshi Kamo, Taketo Uchiyama & Ken Yasukawa

  3. Ichimaru Pharcos Company Ltd, 318-1 Asagi, Motosu, Gifu, 501-0475, Japan

    Norihiro Banno

Authors
  1. Toshihiro Akihisa
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  2. Satoshi Kamo
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  3. Taketo Uchiyama
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  4. Hiroyuki Akazawa
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  5. Norihiro Banno
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  6. Yosuke Taguchi
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  7. Ken Yasukawa
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Correspondence to Toshihiro Akihisa.

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Akihisa, T., Kamo, S., Uchiyama, T. et al. Cytotoxic activity of Perilla frutescens var. japonica leaf extract is due to high concentrations of oleanolic and ursolic acids. J Nat Med 60, 331–333 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-006-0015-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-006-0015-9

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