Anticancer Saponin Separated From Schizocapsa Plantaginea (Hance)

The Schizocapsa plantaginea (Hance) have been used by Chinese ethnic minority as an anti-cancer herb[1]. Extensive investigations into the Taccaceae family revealed the isolation of saponins, flavones, triterpene class of compounds[2], which possesses anti-tubulin and cytotoxic activities[3]. Ethanol extract of this plant was identified as a hit due to its in vitro activity against human liver cancer cell lines SMMC-7721 and Bel-7404 with an IC50 of < 80 µg/mL. One saponin was identified from this extract by bioassay-guided fractionation. The structures of this saponin compound was established by interpretation of spectroscopic data as (25S)-spirost-5-en-3β-yl-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-[O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)]-β-D-glucopyranoside (Saponin 1). This compound showed potent anti-cancer activity against human cancer cell lines Hela, SMMC-7721 and Bel-7404 with an IC₅₀ of < 5µmol/L, Luciferase assays also showed it's multiple affect to signal transduction in Hela cell.

Acknowledgements: This research is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81460620), and the Foundation for the Author of Excellent Doctoral Dissertation of Guangxi Medical University (No. YCBZ2014034).

References: [1]. Dai B. (2009) Guangxi Science and Technology Press, 405 – 408. [2]. Jiang J, Yang H, et al. (2014) Trop J of Phar Res 13: 635 – 648. [3]. Risinger AL, Riffle SM, et al. (2014) Molecular Cancer 13:41:1 – 12.