Production of bioactive triterpenes by Eriobotrya japonica calli.

Callus tissue cultures induced from an axenic leaf of Eriobotrya japonica (Rosaceae) produced triterpenes in large amounts (ca. 50 mg/g dry wt). Nine triterpenes were characterized as ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, 2alpha-hydoxyursolic acid, maslinic acid, tormentic acid, 2alpha, 19alpha-dihydroxy-3-oxo-urs-12-en-28-oic acid, hyptadienic acid and a mixture of 3-O-cis-p-coumaroyltormentic acid and 3-O-trans-p-coumaroyltormentic acid. The triterpene composition in the callus tissues was noticeably different from that in intact leaves. The contents of tormentic acid with antidiabetic action, and 2alpha, 19alpha-dihydroxy-3-oxo-urs-12-en-28-oic acid with anti-HIV activity, were much larger than those in the intact leaves. All of the triterpenes isolated from the callus tissues showed an inhibitory effect comparable to (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) of green tea on the activation of Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). 2alpha, 19alpha-Dihydroxy-3-oxo-urs-12-en-28-oic acid was the most potent inhibitor among them and caused a significant delay of two-stage carcinogenesis on mouse skin.