Title:Advances in the Anticancer Value of the Ursolic Acid Through Nanodelivery
Volume: 25
Issue: 37
Author(s): Azadeh Manayi, Marjan Nikan, Navid Nobakht-Haghighi and Mohammad Abdollahi*
Affiliation:
- Toxicology and Diseases Group, The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran,Iran
Keywords:
Bioavailability, Cancer, Nanomedicine, Natural compounds, Ursolic acid, Review.
Abstract: Ursolic acid, a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid is commonly found in plants and
foods with promising biological and pharmacological activities. The compound has been
under the attention of researchers due to its considerable anticancer effects through suppression
of differentiation, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis of tumor cells via different
pathways with low toxicity. Bioavailability of ursolic acid is poor due to poor solubility
of the compound in water. Low bioavailability and short plasma half-life of ursolic acid
along with non-specific distribution in the body are considered as impediments in the
therapeutic development of the compound. Nano-drug delivery systems may improve the
pharmacokinetic, bioavailability, and therapeutic activity of some medicines. The present
review has focused on recent developments regarding nano-drug delivery systems of ursolic
acid in cancer therapy.
