Saponins from Chinese Medicines as Anticancer Agents

Abstract

Saponins are glycosides with triterpenoid or spirostane aglycones that demonstrate various pharmacological effects against mammalian diseases. To promote the research and development of anticancer agents from saponins, this review focuses on the anticancer properties of several typical naturally derived triterpenoid saponins (ginsenosides and saikosaponins) and steroid saponins (dioscin, polyphyllin, and timosaponin) isolated from Chinese medicines. These saponins exhibit in vitro and in vivo anticancer effects, such as anti-proliferation, anti-metastasis, anti-angiogenesis, anti-multidrug resistance, and autophagy regulation actions. In addition, related signaling pathways and target proteins involved in the anticancer effects of saponins are also summarized in this work.

Natural compounds in the chemoprevention of alcoholic liver disease

“…Saponins, secondary metabolites of plants, are glycosides of triterpenoid or steroidal aglycones which exhibit various biological activities including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial (Guclu-Ustundag & Mazza, 2007). Saponins such as ginsenoside and saikosaponin were found to exhibit anticancer activity (Xu et al, 2016). In addition, saponins were found to improve the pathology of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease (Sun, Xu, Lin, Cui, & Xu, 2015).…”

Zhankuic Acids A, B and C from Taiwanofungus camphoratus Act as Cytotoxicity Enhancers by Regulating P-Glycoprotein in Multi-Drug Resistant Cancer Cells

“…The early-apoptotic phenomenon of MCF-7/ADR was promoted by the combination of pristimerin and doxorubicin [26]. Ginsenoside Rg3 enhanced the intrinsic cell apoptosis pathway of cyclophosphamide to delay the tumor growth in hepatocellular cancer cell line Hep1-6 inoculated mice and prolong their lifespan [27,28]. Herein, ZA-A helped paclitaxel arrest KB/VIN at cell cycle G2/M phase and promote apoptosis; however, whether the apoptosis is related to intrinsic or extrinsic apoptotic pathways still needs further investigation.…”

A steroidal saponin form <i>Paris vietnamensis</i> (Takht.) reverses temozolomide resistance in glioblastoma cells <i>via</i> inducing apoptosis through ROS/PI3K/Akt pathway

“…Modern phytochemical and pharmacological research showed that the genus Paris had anti-tumor effects and steroidal saponins were the chief active components. For example, Polyphyllin I (D), Polyphyllin II, Polyphyllin III, Polyphyllin VII and paris saponin H, which were isolated from Paris, have significant anti-cancer effects, including ovarian cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, osteosarcoma, melanoma and glioblastoma (18,19). Liu et al reported Polyphyllin I induced G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis in U251 human glioblastoma cells via JNK signaling pathway (20).…”