Saponins and Sapogenins of Agave With Respect to Diverse Pharmacological Role of Hecogenin

Abstract

The review outlines the current understandings of saponins and sapogenins in agave species with special focus on pharmacological role of hecogenin in numerous preclinical studies. A systematic literature survey was done on the pharmacological activities of hecogenin during the past 40 y with electronic databases like PubMed, Science Direct, Wiley, SciFinder, Google Scholar, Web of Science and Scopus. Hecogenin, a steroidal sapogenin found abundantly in the leaves of Agave genus species such as, Agave sisalana, Agave cantala, Agave aurea and many more. This phytosteroid (hecogenin) is used as initial material for the synthesis of steroidal drugs in the pharmaceutical industry. Hecogenin has exhibited potential role in the management of a number of disorders such as inflammation, arthritis, cancer, gastric ulcer, cardiotonic and larvicidal activity. In this review, we have summarized the saponins and sapogenins present in the Agave species and pharmacological roles of hecogenin with their mechanism of action.

Diuretic effects of Hecogenin and Hecogenin acetate via aldosterone synthase inhibition

“…Saponins are known for their various biological activities affecting the nervous, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems, as well as their involvement in inflammatory and infectious conditions ( Borges et al, 2023 ). Hecogenin (HEC) is a steroidal saponin found in plants of the Agave and Tribulus terrestris L. genus ( Ingawale, 2020 ). It acts as a precursor in steroidal drug synthesis, and is naturally present as a byproduct of plant metabolism, mainly in the older leaves of Agave sisalana ( Borges et al, 2023 ).…”

Evaluation of the Suitability of Agave salmiana Leaves for Fructooligosaccharydes Recovery

“…Agave plants are a source of a variety of important phytochemicals, such as sapogenins that can be used as precursors for steroidal drugs, but they also comprise saponins and phenolic compounds, which are reported to confer anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties …”