Progress of study on betulinic acid

The betulinic acid(BA),a type of pentacyclic triterpene acid,which is found in the bark of several species of plants,principally the white birch.It has a variety of biological activities,such as anti-tumor,anti-HIV,anti-inflammatory,antimicrobial,and antimalarial activity,especially in anti-melanoma and anti-HIV show great promise.In this paper,the preparation and bioactivities of betulinic acid are reviewed.