Steroidal saponins with cytotoxic effects from the rhizomes of Asparagus cochinchinensis

Bioorg Chem. 2021 Oct:115:105237. doi: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105237. Epub 2021 Aug 4.

Abstract

In the ongoing research on potent antitumor agents from the rhizomes of Asparagus cochinchinensis, seven undescribed steroidal saponins asparagusoside A-G (1-7), along with twenty known ones (8-27), were isolated and elucidated via analyzing their 1D, 2D NMR, mass spectroscopic data and chemical methods. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic effects against human large cell lung carcinoma cells (NCI-H460) in vitro. Among them, compounds 7, 9 and 27 showed more significant antitumor activities than the positive control cisplatin (11.56 μM) with IC50 values of 1.39, 3.04, and 2.25 μM, respectively. Further research about asparagusoside G (7) showed G0/G1 arrest in NCI-H460 cell line cycle and induced cell death by apoptosis in a dose‑dependent way.

Keywords: Apoptosis; Asparagus cochinchinensis; Cytotoxic; NCI-H460 cell line; Steroidal saponin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / isolation & purification
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Asparagus Plant / chemistry*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Humans
  • Molecular Structure
  • Rhizome / chemistry*
  • Saponins / chemistry
  • Saponins / isolation & purification
  • Saponins / pharmacology*
  • Steroids / chemistry
  • Steroids / isolation & purification
  • Steroids / pharmacology*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Saponins
  • Steroids