1. “Dose differentiates a poison from a remedy”
Paracelsus pointed out in the 16th century that “All substances
are poisons; there is none which is not poison. The
right dose differentiates a poison from a remedy”. Like many
herbal ingredients, the selection of the appropriate dose of
these triperpenoids is critical. Although these triterpenoids
are relatively safe, toxicities do occur in certain circumstances.
For example, low-doses of oleanolic acid are hepatoprotective,
while the high-dose could produce cholestasis
and hepatotoxicity.Low-dose of oleanolic acid could produce
adaptive responses, similar to “hormesis”. Thus, it should be
kept in mind in the future studies that the dose determines the
mode of action and the dose makes a poison.