Mistletoe derived solubilized triterpene acids show inhibitory effects on murine and human skin cell lines

Mistletoe (Viscum album L.) contains triterpenes such as oleanolic acid and betulinic acid. These triterpenes are almost insoluble in water and are normally lost during the preparation of aqueous Viscum album extracts (VAE). Here, we have obtained water soluble triterpenes from V. album by complexation with cyclodextrins. We show that V. album-derived solubilized triterpenes display biological activity in the absence of toxic solvents like DMSO. We tested the effects of different neutral and alkaline aqueous triterpene-cyclodextrin solutions on cell viability and apoptosis of human and murine skin-derived cell l…