Advances in Research on Hepatoprotective Activity and Synthesis of Oleanolic Acid Derivatives

Oleanolic acid (3b-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid compound with a wide spread occurrence throughout the plant kingdom. During the last decade many research articles associated with oleanolic acid have been published. Particularly its hepatoprotective activity has been studied for many years. However, the clinical application of oleanolic acid has been limited by its poor solubility. In order to overcome this disadvantage, various approaches have been sought and many derivatives of oleanolic acid have been designed and synthesized. And some of these analogues show improved pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, indicating that it may be promising candidates for the treatment of human liver diseases