Compound Monograph

Oleanolic acid

Oleanolic acid is a pentacyclic triterpenoid found widely in plants, including olive leaf and many herbs.

Work in progress

Classification

Oleanolic acid is a triterpenoid (pentacyclic, oleanane-type), part of the terpenoids class. The largest class of plant compounds, built from five-carbon isoprene units — the essential-oil aromatics, resins, bitter principles, saponins, and plant sterols.

Terpenoids Triterpenes

Where Does It Come From? (14)

Oleanolic acid is a naturally occurring triterpenoid (pentacyclic, oleanane-type), found in Olive leaves and skins, Nettle, Motherwort and 11 other sources. It is well tolerated orally (low toxicity).

Bay Bean Canavalia rosea Calendula Calendula officinalis Cat's Claw Uncaria tomentosa Chickweed Stellaria media Guamura Cecropia mexicana Hawthorn Crataegus oxyacantha Holy Basil Ocimum tenuiflorum Motherwort Leonurus cardiaca Olive leaves and skins Olive Leaf Olea europaea Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica Wood betony Yerba Maté Ilex paraguariensis Zizyphus Ziziphus spinosa

Research & Evidence

Oleanolic acid is a pentacyclic triterpenoid (an oleanane-type compound) found throughout the plant kingdom, often together with its isomer ursolic acid. It occurs in olive leaves and fruit skins and in a wide range of herbs, where it commonly forms part of the waxy surface of leaves. It has been investigated extensively in the laboratory for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and liver-protective activities, and it is a familiar marker compound in herbal chemistry.

Toxicity & Safety

As a constituent of many edible plants and a long-consumed component of olive products, oleanolic acid is regarded as low in toxicity at dietary levels. Concentrated supplemental use has not been thoroughly characterised in humans.