Birch tree outer bark, a natural source of bioactive pentacyclic triterpenes with an antitumor activity

Authors:
Sorina Ciurlea, Codruta Soica, Daniela Ionescu, Rita Ambrus, Stefana Feflea, Cristina Adriana Dehelean

Volume 16, Issue 3;
Pages: 328-332;
ISSN: 2069-0053 (print) (former: ISSN:1453-1399), Agroprint;
ISSN (online):2068 – 9551

Birch tree is widely spread in Romania being known for a very long time for its healing properties: antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antiallergenic, antihypoxic, hepatoprotector, hypolipemic. The main compound of the birch bark is betulin, a pentacyclic triterpene, which can be easily converted to betulinic acid, a pharmacological more active compound. The purpose of the present study was to underline 2 different possibilities of extraction, well known even on agro-alimentary field and the evaluation of their in vitro activity on a specific cell line: A2058 (human melanoma) comparing with a known antimelanoma compound betulinic acid.