Major triterpenoids in Chinese hawthorn “Crataegus pinnatifida” and their effects on cell proliferation and apoptosis induction in MDA-MB-231 cancer cells

Triterpenoids-enriched fraction (S9) was prepared by semi-preparative HPLC. S9 fraction and its predominant ingredient ursolic acid (UA) demonstrated remarkably antiproliferative activities through the cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction, and was partially responsible for the potent anticancer activity of Chinese hawthorn.307