Previously, Adams and his team had
identified ursolic acid, which is found in apple peel, and tomatidine, which comes from green tomatoes, as small molecules that can prevent acute muscle wasting caused by starvation and inactivity.
The triterpenes alpha - and beta - amyrin,
ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, betulin, betulinic acid and a variety of other minor components have been
identified.