Betulin

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Betulin

General
Systematic name	3a-Hydroxymethyl-1-isopropenyl -5a,5b,8,8,11a-pentamethyl- icosahydro-cyclopenta[a]chrysen-9-ol
Other names	lup-20(29)-ene-3β,28-diol
Molecular formula	C₃₀H₅₀O₂
Molar mass	442.72 g/mol
CAS number	[473-98-3]
Properties
Melting point	256-257 °C
CLogP	8.526
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25°C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references

Betulin (lup-20(29)-ene-3β,28-diol) is an abundant naturally occurring triterpene. It is commonly isolated from the bark of birch trees and forms up to 30% of the dry weight of the extractive. It can be converted to betulinic acid, which is biologically more active than betulin itself. Betulinic acid and its synthetic analogues exhibit anti-malarial, anti-inflamatory and anti-HIV activity as well as showing cytotoxicity towards a number of tumour cell lines. Even though betulin deruvatives are most widely studied for their anticancer activity, also the anti-HIV effect is quite well characterized and it has been demonstrated that betulins can inhibit HIV entry to T cells by binding to the gp41, a HIV protein needed for the invasion of the virus into the cell.