Gelling and encapsulation: Oleanolic acid (1) is a nanosized triterpenoid that self-assembles in different solvents to form nanosized vesicles. The vesicles formed can encapsulate fluorophores, including the well-known anitcancer drug doxorubicin, and 1 can also gelate many of the solvents tested. This strategy of gelation and encapsulation may be relevant to many other large triterpenoids.