What is oleanolic acid?
Oleanolic acid (OA), a natural hydroxyl pentacyclic triterpenoid acid (HPTA) similar to betulinic acid, ursolic acid;
Where can you find oleanolic acid?
Some fruits like apples, pomegranate, lemon, bilberries, olives contain oleanolic acid.
| Herb Name | Oleanolic acid content | Test method |
| Ligustrum lucidum Ait | 0.8028% | HPLC |
| Verbena Officinalis L | 0.071%-0.086% | HPLC |
| Prunella vulgaris L | 3.47%-4.46% | HPLC |
| Hemsley Chinensis Cogn. | 1.5%～2% | HPLC |
Currently, Chinese herb Hemsley Chinensis Cogn still is the most commercial raw material for extracting oleanolic acid.
Hemsley Chinensis Cogn. Introduction
Hemsleya chinensis Cogn. is a perennial climbing herb, also is traditional Chinese medicine.
Familia: Cucurbitaceae
Tribus: Gomphogyneae
Genus: Hemsleya
Species: H. amabilis
The herb is distributed in provinces Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Hubei, etc. Born in the forest edge and valley shrubs at an altitude of about 2,000 meters.
Active ingredients: contains Hemslolide Mal、Ma3、H1; Chikusetsusaponin-Iva; dihydro cucurbitacin F-25-acetate; dilydrocucurbitacin F; oleanolic acid-beta-Hlucosyloleanolate; Hemsamabilinin A; Cu-curbitacinⅡb-2-beta-D-glucopyranoside.
Extraction of Oleanolic acid from Hemsleya Chinensis Cogn.
Oleanolic acid specifications
Formulas containing Oleanolic acid in Food supplements
We found that the oleanolic acid used in health supplements mainly comes from three kinds of plant extracts: Loquat leaf extract, Hemsley Chinensis extract, and holy basil extract.
- Holy Basil powder (leaf) (0.4% Ursolic acid and Oleanolic acid, 2.0 mg)
- Holy Basil supercritical CO2 extract (leaf) (Ocimum tenuiflorum Linn.) (2.5% Ursolic acid and Oleanolic acid, 1.5 mg)
- Loquat Extract (fruit) (providing Ursolic acid, Oleanolic Acid) (Standardized to Ursolic acid Per Serving 125mg)
Oleanolic acid VS Ursolic acid
Oleanolic acid (OA) and ursolic acid (UA) are natural triterpenoids that have a similar chemical structure.
These triterpenoids compounds are known to exist in medicinal herbs and foods.
OA and UA difference:
| Product Name | Oleanolic acid | Ursolic acid |
| CAS NO. | 508-02-1 | 77-52-1 |
| Pentacyclic triterpenes | β-Amyrin | α-Amyrin |
| Herb sources | Loquat leaf, Holy Basil, Rosemary, Olive leaf.etc. | |
| Specifications | 40%,98%powder | 15%,25%,50%,98%powder |
| Appearance
(color and odor) |
40% light yellow
98%white powder odorless |
15%-50% brown-yellow or yellow
98%white powder Characteristic |
| Distinguishing | IR:(1355~1392cm-1) two peaks
(1245~1330cm-1) three peaks NMR:δ(C12)122.1,δ(C13)143.4 |
(1355~1392cm-1) three peaks
(1245~1330cm-1) three peaks δ(C12)125.5,δ(C13)138.0 |
| Derivatives | Oleanolic sodium salt
Oleanolic acid phosphate disodium salt 3-oxo oleanolic acid bardoxolone methyl (CDDO-Me) |
Ursolic sodium salt and its dicarboxylic acid half ester derivatives
Ursolic acid ketene derivatives 3-carbon ursolic acid 3-acetoxyursolic acid |
| UA is more popular than OA. | ||
Oleanolic Acid and its derivatives
Chinese Pharmacopoeia Standard of Oleanolic Acid
| Product name | Oleanolic Acid |
| Identification | (1)Take 30mg of this product, put it in a test tube, add 3ml of chloroform to dissolve, add two drops of sulfuric acid, shake for 5 minutes, the chloroform layer is purple-red. |
| (2)Take about 20mg of this product, add 1ml of acetic anhydride, dissolve it with a slight heat, add sulfuric acid to the purple color, and darken after placing. | |
| (3)Take about 10mg of this product, add vanillin glacial acetic acid solution (take vanillin 0.5g, add 10ml of glacial acetic acid to dissolve, that is) 0.2ml, add 0.8ml of perchloric acid, and heat it for several minutes in a water bath. Fuchsia, add 2ml of ethyl acetate, purple-red dissolved in ethyl acetate, placed without discoloration. | |
| (4)The infrared absorption spectrum of this product should be consistent with the control spectrum. | |
| Determination of assay | Take 0.15g of this product, accurately weigh it, add 30ml of ethanol, shake it, heat it in a warm water bath to dissolve, let cool to room temperature, add 3 drops of phenolphthalein indicator solution, make potassium hydroxide solution with ethanol (0.05mol/L) Titrate immediately and correct for blank test. Potassium hydroxide solution (0.05 mol/L) per 1 ml of ethanol corresponds to 22.84 mg of C30H48O3. |
Oleanolic acid recommend dosage
According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia Standard, Oleanolic acid Oral dose is 20~80mg per time,60~240mg per day.
Oleanolic acid supplying
As a professional manufacturer of bulk powder ingredients, Cimasci stably provides oleanolic acid 40% powder and 98% powder currently, each batch reach 500-800kgs, and we are very familiar with it from raw material production to export. Oleanolic acid Olea europaea (Olive) source is also one of our key projects.
If you need or interest it, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
