Lupeol (LP)

Lupeol is a pharmacologically active triterpenoid. It has several medicinal properties, one being anti-inflammatory. A 1998 study found lupeol to decrease paw swelling in rats by 39%, compared to 35% for the standardized control compound indomethacin. It is found in a variety of plants, including mango, Acacia visco or Abronia villosa. It is also found in dandelion coffee. Lupeol has a complex pharmacology in humans, displaying antiprotozoal, antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, antitumor and chemopreventive properties. One study has also found some activity as a Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor and prolyl oligopeptidase inhibitor at high concentrations (in the millimolar range). It is an effective inhibitor in laboratory models of prostate and skin cancers. As an anti-inflammatory agent, lupeol functions primarily on the interleukin system. Bani et al. (2006) found lupeol to decrease IL-4 (interleukin 4) production by T-helper type 2 cells.