Neutrophile elastase has the capacity to degrade elastin, a protein found in the connective tissue of the lungs. Unchecked elastase leads to pulmonary pathologies. Therefore, the development of elastase inhibitors is currently actively pursued in the therapeutic field. Several triterpenoids have been reported as inhibitors against elastase or its release. Such compounds could be valuable for the design of new drugs. This review is aimed at giving a comprehensive insight into the recent work performed in the field of triterpenoid-induced elastase inhibition.
TintingerG, SteelHC, AndersonR. (2005) Taming the neutrophil: calcium clearance and influx mechanisms as novel targets for pharmacological control. Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 141, 191–200.
2.
O'DonnellRA, PeeblesC, WardJA, DarakerA, AngcoG, BrobergP, PierrouS, LundJ, HolgateST, DaviesDE, DelanyDJ, WilsonSJ, DjukanovicR. (2004) Relationship between peripheral airway dysfunction, airway obstruction, and neutrophilic inflammation in COPD. Thorax, 59, 837–842.
3.
KorkmazB, HorwitzMS, JenneDE, GauthierF. (2010) Neutrophil elastase, proteinase 3, and cathepsin G as therapeutic targets in human diseases Pharmacological Reviews, 62, 726–759.
4.
ShapiroSD, GoldsteinNM, HoughtonAM, KobayashiDK, KelleyD, BelaaouajA. (2003) Neutrophil elastase contributes to cigarette smoke-induced emphysema in mice. American Journal of Pathology, 163, 2329–2335
HayakawaM, KatabamiK, WadaT, SuganoM, HoshinoH, SawamuraA, GandoS. (2010) Silvelestat (selective neutrophil elastase inhibitor) improves the mortality rate of sepsis associated with both acute respiratory distress syndrome and disseminated intravascular coagulation patients. Shock, 33, 14–18.
7.
KawabataK, SuzukiM, SugitaniM, ImakiK, TodaM, MiyamotoT. (1991) ONO-5046, a novel inhibitor of human neutrophil elastase. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 177, 814–820.
8.
SiedleB, HrennA, MerfortI. (2007) Natural compounds as inhibitors of human neutrophil elastase. Planta Medica, 73, 401–420.
9.
Venkateswara RaoKN, GopalakrishnanV, KishoreBVSH, Rajendra PrasadK, SrikanthP. (2000) Occurrence, distribution and biological activity of ursolic acid: a review. Indian Drugs, 38, 216–224.
10.
NovotnyL, VachalkovaA, BiggsD. (2001) Ursolic acid: An anti-tumorigenic and chemopreventive activity minireview. Neoplasma, 48, 241–246.
11.
YasutakaI, AkiraM, HajimeO. (2008) Ursolic acid: an anti- and pro-inflammatory triterpenoid, Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, 52, 26–42.
12.
YingQL, RinehartAR, SimonSR, CheronisJC. (1991) Inhibition of human leucocyte elastase by ursolic acid. Evidence for a binding site for pentacyclic triterpenes. Biochemical Journal, 277, 521–526.
13.
Mitaine-OfferAC, HornebeckW, SauvainM, Zèches-HanrotM. (2002) Triterpenes and phytosterols as human leucocyte elastase inhibitors. Planta Medica, 68, 930–932.
14.
MaityN, NemaNK, AbedyK, SarkarBK, MukherjeePK. (2011) Exploring Tagetes erecta Linn flower for the elastase, hyaluronidase and MMP-1 inhibitory activity. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 137, 1300–1305.
15.
RajicA, Kweifio-OkaiG, MacridesT, SandemanRM, ChandlerDS, PolyaGM. (2000) Inhibition of serine proteases by anti-inflammatory triterpenoids. Planta Medica, 66, 206–210.
16.
HodgesLD, Kweifio-OkaiG, MacridesTA. (2003) Antiprotease effect of anti-inflammatory lupeol esters. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, 252, 97–101.
17.
SultanaN, LeeNH. (2007) Antielastase and free radical scavenging activities of compounds from the stems of Cornus kousa. Phytotherapy Research, 21, 1171–1176.
18.
KimJH, ByunJC, BandiAKR, HyunCG, LeeNH. (2009) Compounds with elastase inhibition and free radical scavenging activities from Callistemon lanceolatus, Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 3, 914–920.
19.
HamburgerM, RieseU, GrafH, MelzigMF, CiesielskiS, BaumannD, DittmannK, WegnerC. (2002) Constituents in evening primrose oil with radical scavenging, cyclogenase, and neutrophilelastase inhibitory activities. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 50, 5533–5538.
20.
SafayhiH, RallB, SailerER, AmmonHPT. (1997) Inhibition by boswellic acid of human leukocyte elastase. The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 281, 460–463.
21.
CookL, TernaiB. (1988) Similar binding sites for unsaturated fatty acids and alkyl-2-pyrone inhibitors of human sputum elastase. Biological Chemistry Hoppe-Seyler, 369, 627–631.
NighatS, AtharA. (2008) Oleanolic acid and related derivatives as medicinally important compounds. Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry, 23, 739–756.
24.
SunH, FangWS, WangWZ, HuC. (2006) Structure-activity relationships of oleanane- and ursane-type triterpenoids, Botanical Studies, 47, 339–368.
25.
ChandlerRF, HooperSN. (1979) Friedelin and associated triterpenoids. Phytochemistry, 18, 711–724.
26.
Rufino-PalomaresEE, Reyes-ZuritaFJ, Garcia-SalgueroL, MokhtariK, MedinaPP, LupianezJA, PeragonJ. (2013) Maslinic acid, a triterpenic anti-tumoural agent, interferes with cytoskeleton protein expression in HT29 human colon-cancer cells. Journal of Proteomics, 83, 15–25.
27.
ChanHH, HwangTL, ReddyMVB, LiDT, QianK, BastowKF, LeeKH, WuTS. (2011) Bioactive constituents from the roots of Panax japonicus var. major and development of a LC-MS/MS method for distinguishing between natural and artifactual compounds. Journal of Natural Products, 74, 796–802.
28.
ChoJY, LeeTH, HwangTL, YangSZ, ChenIS, ChouTH, SungPJ, ChenJJ. (2011) A new ferulic acid ester, a new ellagic acid derivative, and other constituents from Pachycentria formosana: Effects on neutrophil pro-inflammatory responses. Chemistry and Biodiversity, 8, 1709–1716.
