Planta Med 2009; 75(10): 1141-1143
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1185481
Pharmacology
Letter
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Effects of Maslinic Acid, a Natural Triterpene, on Glycogen Metabolism in Cultured Cortical Astrocytes

Teng Guan1 , Yunman Li1 , Hongbin Sun2 , Xuzhen Tang1 , Yisong Qian1
  • 1Department of Physiology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, P. R. China
  • 2Center of Drug Discovery, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, P. R. China
Further Information

Publication History

received December 15, 2008 revised February 8, 2009

accepted February 11, 2009

Publication Date:
16 March 2009 (online)

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Abstract

Maslinic acid (2-α,3-β-dihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid) is a triterpenoid compound present in plants of Olea europaea. In the present study, we investigated the effect of maslinic acid on astrocytic glycogen metabolism. Glycogen phosphorylase (GP) activity in homogenates of cultured astrocytes was analyzed, and maslinic acid exhibited GP inhibition with an IC50 value of 5.7 µM. Moreover, the influence of maslinic acid on glycogen synthesis and glycogenolysis was also investigated. Pre-incubation with maslinic acid dose-dependently increased cellular glycogen content and prevented the excessive glycogenolysis induced by norepinephrine. In conclusion, maslinic acid is suggested to be a potent inhibitor of astrocytic glycogen phosphorylase.