title: Effect of soybean saponins and gypsophilla saponin on growth and viability of colon carcinoma cells in culture.
abstract: The effects of soybean saponins (SS) and gypsophilla saponin (GS) on the growth and viability of colon tumor (HCT-15) cells in culture were investigated. Cells were incubated in various concentrations of saponins for 1 hour (short term) or 48 hours (long term). Cell growth and viability were monitored at 24 and 48 hours. SS and GS inhibited cell growth and reduced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner in long-term treatment. The viability of cells was also reduced by short-term treatment with GS. The saponins differed in their effects on cell surface morphology: GS induced a rough and granular cell surface, whereas SS-treated cells displayed only minor morphological alterations. Changes in membrane permeability were assessed by measuring leakage of the cytoplasmic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase from cells. GS showed a concentration-dependent increase in lactate dehydrogenase leakage, whereas SS did not exhibit this effect. These results suggest that SS and GS have a significant growth-inhibitory effect on colon tumor cells in culture. However, it would appear that they are acting through different mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Kendall
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry*; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013025:Glycine max / Q000737:chemistry*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D012503:Saponins; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase