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Cucurbitacin E
Cucurbitacin E is a biochemical compound from the family of Cucurbitacins, which are found in plants member of the family Cucurbitacea, most of them coming from traditional Chinese medical plants, but also in other plants such as pumpkins and gourds. Cucurbitacin E is a highly oxidated steroid consisting of a tetracyclic triterpenes. Specific changes on this molecule under certain conditions can generate other types of Cucurbitacins such as Cucurbitacin I, J, K and L. Nowadays it is being highly investigated because of its wide range of biological properties such as *Antioxidant properties. *Cucurbitacin E inhibits tumor growth through inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. *It has also been proved that Cucurbitacin E is an activator of T-lymphocytes and its effect increases when it’s associated with PHA molecule. *Anti-inflammatory. *Cytotoxic effect.

Anti-inflammatory
Cucurbitacin E anti-inflammatory activities are proved in vivo and in vitro. It is useful in the treatment of inflammation because of the inhibition of cyclooxygenase (hipervincle) and reactive nitrogen species( hipervincle) but not reactive oxygen species(hipervincle). Macrophages are the responsable of the production of various cytokines, RNS and ROS, growth factors and chemokines as a response to activation signal such as chemical mediators, cytokines and LPS(hipervincle). Even though, these molecules have an important role, they can also have damaging effects, like some RNS. Cucurbitacin clue role is that it has a dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity related with its inhibition of nitric oxide (an RNS) production in macrophages without affecting the viability of these cells. As cucurbitacin E doesn't affect normal human liver cells, it could have therapeutic potencial and effective treatment for a variety of inflammation mediated diseases.

(Anti-inflammatoy activities of cucurbitacin E isolated from Citrullus lanatus var. Citroides: Role of reactive nitrogen species and cyclooxygenase enzyme inhibition).