title: Immunomodulating effects of the hydrolysis products of formosanin C and beta-ecdysone from Paris formosana Hayata.
abstract: Formosanin C (PF-3, I), a diosgenin glycoside with four sugars isolated from Paris formosana Hayata as main constituent, significantly showed immunomodulating effects on the proliferative response of mouse lymphocytes to concanavalin A (Con A). The partialy hydrolysis products of formosanin C, dioscin (II) and prosapogenin A of dioscin (III), also increased 3H-thymidine incorporation of Con A-stimulated lymphocytes maximally at 0.01 micrograms/ml, whereas formosanin C did so at 0.0001 micrograms/ml. However, trillin (IV) and diosgenin (V) obtained from the partial hydrolysis of formosanin C had no effects on these immune responses. Evidently, the immunomodulating activities increased in the order of increasing polarity. Probably the solubility in water was a factor. This demonstrated that the sugar moiety in the structure of formosanin C (I) displays a very important pattern for the effect on the proliferative response of mouse lymphocytes to Con A. On the other hand, these hydrolysis products at higher concentrations of 1 and 10 micrograms/ml reduced the cytotoxic effects on spleen cells as compared with formosanin C. The other constituent, beta-ecdysone (VI) isolated from the stems of Paris formosana Hayata also increased 3H-thymidine incorporation of Con A-stimulated splenocytes. At the concentration of 0.001 micrograms/ml, the stimulation index of beta-ecdysone (2) is higher than that of formosanin C (1.65), and at the concentration of 100 micrograms/ml, beta-ecdysone had no cytotoxicity for normal spleen cells whereas formosanin C at the lower concentration of 10 micrograms/ml showed cytotoxicity. Based on this study, beta-ecdysone (VI) is therefore a better immunomodulator than formosanin C.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, ROC.
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003470:Culture Media; D004144:Diosgenin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D004441:Ecdysterone / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010944:Plants; D012503:Saponins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D012503:Saponins; C019357:dioscin; C067584:formosanin C; D004441:Ecdysterone; D004144:Diosgenin