Phytother Res. 2003 Feb; 17(2): 160-2.

Inhibitory effects of triterpenes isolated from Hoelen on free radical-induced lysis of red blood cells.

Sekiya N, Goto H, Shimada Y, Endo Y, Sakakibara I, Terasawa K.

Department of Japanese Oriental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Toyama, Japan.

Hoelen, sclederma of Poria cocos Wolf, has long been used as a sedative and diuretic in traditional medicine. Formerly, we demonstrated that Hoelen in vitro protects red blood cells from AAPH-induced hemolysis. In this study, tests were carried out to identify the main ingredient of Hoelen that has the scavenging effect on free-radicals. Triterpene carboxylic acids isolated from the methanol extract of Hoelen, i.e. pachymic acid, polyporenic acid, 3-epidehydrotumulosic acid, 3beta-hydroxylanosta-7,9(11), 24-trien-21-oic acid and 3-o-acetyl-16 alpha -hydroxytrametenolic acid, were found to have inhibitory activities against AAPH-induced lysis of red blood cells.Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.