The Potential Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Activity of Oleanolic Acid in the Hydroethanolic Extract of Crataegus monogyna Jacq
The hydroethanolic extract of Crataegus monogyna was studied for its chemical constitution and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity. The extract contained triterpenic acids, flavonoids and coumarins. The ACE inhibitory activity was studied using captropril, as a control drug, and oleanolic acid, as a constituent of the hydroethanolic extract and a member of the triterpenic acid group. The hydroethanolic extract and oleanolic acid showed higher IC50 values (335.00 μg/mL and 3.61 μM, respectively) in comparison to captopril (46.9 nM). However, these results indicate the anti-ACE activity of oleanolic acid and the triterpenic acids, which has not been demonstrated earlier for hawthorn extracts. In previous studies, the ACE inhibitory activity of C. monogyna extracts was always attributed to flavonoids and proanthocyanidins.