Costunolide has been used to study its effects in allergic asthma using female Balb/c mice and rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-2H3 mast cells.
Biochem/physiol Actions
Costunolide is a sesquiterpene lactone originally isolated from plants widely used in many herbal medicines. It has a variety of effects. Costunolide is a potent inducer of apoptosis, a potent anti-cancer agent, has anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-fungal, antimycobacterial activity and has been shown to inhibit telomerase activity.
General description
Costunolide has anti-ulcer and antipyretic properties. It inhibits the cellular proliferation of melanin, human lamin-B by farnesyl-protein transferase (FPTase) and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (hPTP1B). Costunolide has strong larvicidal activity against A.albopictus. It inhibits the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and DNA-binding activity of nuclear factor kappa B subunit (NF-?B). It might function as a natural herbicide.