Obacunone is a kind of oxygenated triterpenoids found in rutaceae family. It exists in citrus seeds, commercial citrus juice and philodendron amurenseIt. Prof. Toulouse SM’s study(Poulose, 2005) proved for numbers of biological activities such as inhibition of cancer cells proliferation and tumor. Dr. Miller EG’s further study (Miller, 2004)demonstrated that the  strength of obacunone’s anti tumor activities associated with the change of A ring in its structure. 

Animals experiments show obacunone can increase and arouse glutathione-S-transferase(GST)’s activities in adverse organs of mice. 

There is also obacunone in pericarp and seeds of Fortunella margarita. 

1.Antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effect

The study shows that isoflavonoid glycosides is able to inhibit staphylococcus aureus, S.citreus and bacillus subtilis. Rahman(Rahman, 2012) assumed that obacunone works well in Listeria monocytogenes, its minimal inhibitory concentration is between 15.ug/ml to 62.5 ug/ml. 

2. Anticancer activity 

Many international studies abacunone has anticancer activity, which in the way of inhibiting cancer cells and carcinogenic factors, and stimulating GST’s activity as well. Tian(Tian, 2001) found that obacunone has obvious suppression effect on human breast cancer (MCF-7 cells).

Obacunone can also reduce the incidence rate of colon cancer leaded by inducing azoxymethane, so it may prevent colon cancer. 

Lam(Lam, 1989) researched the induction of obacunone to GST, it can increase GST’s activity in intestinal mucosa and liver which is mainly achieved by inducing inhibition of GST to DMBA. Animal experiment study shows that ovacunone has different toxicity among lung cancer,  mouth cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and skin cancer. (Kelly, 2003)

3. Oxidation resistance 

The oxidation resistance of obacunone is 2.9-8.3 times of vitamin C. (Sun, 2005) Carrots bleaching method shows, obacunone’s oxidation resistance is higher than nomolin and vitamin C in same volume. 

4. Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity 

Mastsuda used obacunone separated from Evodia rutaecarpa to feed mice in the dose of 39mg/kg or 100mg/kg, formaldehyde test shows, mice reduced licking numbers, it means obcaunone has anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity. (Mastsuda, 1998)

There is study shows obcaunone can effectively reduce pain led by formaldehyde test, and inhibit abdominal constriction responses. 

Safety and dose 

In the concentration of 100ug/mL, obacunone is able to induce apoptosis of MCF-7 cells. The inhibitory rate is higher than 70%, whose effect will increase by the dose and working time. 

Obacunone has inhibition effect on copy of HIV-1 in many cells systems, the EC50 value is 60.0uM, inhibitory effect related to the dose. The inhibition mechanism is inhibiting protease. (Battinelli, 2003)

Rahman(Rahman, 2012) assumed that obacunone works well in Listeria monocytogenes, its minimal inhibitory concentration is between 15.ug/ml to 62.5 ug/ml.

Mastsuda used obacunone separated from Evodia rutaecarpa to feed mice in the dose of 39mg/kg or 100mg/kg, formaldehyde test shows, mice reduced licking numbers, it means obcaunone has anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity.

Reference:

Battinelli L, Mengoni F, Lichtner M, et al. Effect of limonin and nomilin on HIV-1 replication on infected human mononuclear cells.[J]. Planta Medica, 2003, 69(10):910-913.

Sun C D, Chen K S, Yang C, et al. Contents and antioxidant capacity of limonin and nomilin in different tissues of citrus fruit of four cultivars during fruit growth and maturation[J]. Food Chemistry, 2005, 93(4):599-605.

Kelly C, Jewell C, O’Brien N M. The effect of dietary supplementation with the citrus limonoids, limonin and nomilin on xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in the liver and small intestine of the rat[J]. Nutrition Research, 2003, 23(5):681-690.

Lamlkt,LI Y,Hasegawa S.Effect of citrus limonoids on glutathione s-transferase activity in mice[J].Agric.Food Chem.,1989

Matsuda H, Yoshikawa M, Iinuma M, et al. Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of limonin isolated from the fruits of Evodia rutaecarpa var. bodinieri.[J]. Planta Medica, 1998, 64(4):339-342.

Miller EG ,, † J L P, † W H B, et al. Further Studies on the Anticancer Activity of Citrus Limonoids[J]. Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry, 2004, 52(15):4908-12. 

Rahman A, Minkyun N A, Sun C K. ANTILISTERIAL POTENTIAL OF IMPERATORIN AND LIMONIN FROM PONCIRUS TRIFOLIATA, RAFIN[J]. Journal of Food Biochemistry, 2012, 36(2):217–223.

Poulose S M, Harris E D, Patil B S. Citrus limonoids induce apoptosis in human neuroblastoma cells and have radical scavenging activity.[J]. Journal of Nutrition, 2005, 135(4):870-7.

Tian Q, Miller E G, Ahmad H, et al. Differential Inhibition of Human Cancer Cell Proliferation by Citrus Limonoids[J]. Nutrition & Cancer, 2001, 40(2):180-4.

Vol. N. Citrus limonoid reduction of chemically induced tumorigenesis[J]. Food Technology, 1994, 48(11):104-108.