The ether-soluble fraction of EtOH extract from the leaves of Eriobotrya japonica LINDL.showed an anti-inflammatory effect when topically applied to rats. Ursolic acid, maslinic acid, methyl maslimate and euscaphic acid were isolated from the ether-soluble fraction. Maslinic acid was found to show an anti-inflammatory effect on carrageenan-induced edema and an inhibitory effect on histamine-induced ileum contraction.
Strawberry cv. Houkouwase is resistant to infection by Colletotrichum fragariae. The formation of antifungal compounds was observed in unripe fruit which had been wounded and inoculated with conidia of C. musae. Three antifungal compounds were isolated and identified as euscaphic acid, tormentic acid and myrianthic acid. Myrianthic acid inhibited the growth of C. musae at 3 μg, and euscaphic and tormentic acids showed inhibitory effects at 100 μg. A quantitative analysis of their contents showed that the triterpenes increased in wounded fruit, and in wounded and inoculated fruit, but not in non-treated fruit. These findings indicate that unripe fruit of Houkouwase produced the triterpenes as phytoalexins. The triterpene phytoalexins seem to be involved in the resistance of strawberry to the fungus.