Ultrasound Assisted Extraction of Saponins from Hedera helix L. and an In Vitro Biocompatibility Evaluation of the Extracts

Adina I Gavrila; Rodica Tatia; Ana-Maria Seciu-Grama; Isabela Tarcomnicu; Cristina Negrea; Ioan Calinescu; Christina Zalaru; Lucia Moldovan; Anca D Raiciu; Ioana Popa

doi:10.3390/ph15101197

Ultrasound Assisted Extraction of Saponins from Hedera helix L. and an In Vitro Biocompatibility Evaluation of the Extracts

Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2022 Sep 28;15(10):1197. doi: 10.3390/ph15101197.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Bioresources and Polymer Science, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 011061 Bucharest, Romania.
² Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, 060031 Bucharest, Romania.
³ Cytogenomic Medical Laboratory, 014462 Bucharest, Romania.
⁴ Department of Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry and Catalysis, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Bucharest, 050663 Bucharest, Romania.
⁵ SC HOFIGAL SA, 042124 Bucharest, Romania.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to establish the best ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) conditions of saponins from Hedera helix L. leaves and to evaluate the in vitro biocompatibility of the extracts richest in saponins. Different parameters, such as extraction time, temperature, ultrasound power, solvent to plant material ratio, and solvent concentration, were investigated. The most efficient extraction conditions were a temperature of 50 °C, an ultrasound amplitude of 40%, an extraction time of 60 min, a plant material to solvent ratio of 1:20 (w:v), and 80% ethanol as solvent. In vitro cytotoxicity of the extracts richest in saponins and their influence on the DNA content of L929 (NCTC) fibroblasts were tested. Until 200 µg/mL, the studied extracts were cytocompatible with L929 fibroblast cell lines at 48 h of treatment. These in vitro cell culture results provide useful information for further applications of Hedera helix extracts in a pharmaceutical field.

Keywords: Hedera helix; biocompatibility; cytotoxicity; saponins; ultrasound.

Grants and funding

The authors acknowledge the financial support received from the Unit Executive for Funding Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation, ActionJoint Demonstration experimental project, PN-III-P2-PED-2019-2118, project: Technologies for obtaining of natural products with immunostimulatory properties—“IMUNOSTIM” financed by contract: PED, no. 381PED/2020.