title: Cytotoxic activity of steroidal saponins against human oral tumor cell lines.
abstract: Three steroidal saponins showed higher cytotoxicity against human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (HSC-2), as compared with normal human gingival fibroblasts HGF. Tumor specificity of saponins exceeded that of tannins and flavonoids. Agarose gel electrophoresis showed that saponins failed to induce internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, but produced large DNA fragments in both HSC-2 cells and human promyelocytic leukemic HL-60 cells. In contrast to epigallocatechin gallate or gallic acid, cytotoxic activity of saponins was not significantly affected by metals (Co2+, Cu2+, Fe3+) nor by antioxidants (sodium ascorbate, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, catalase). Furthermore, saponins did not produce radicals (detected by ESR spectroscopy) nor oxidation potential (measured by NO monitor). These data suggest that an oxidation-mediated mechanism is not involved in the cytotoxicity induced by steroidal saponins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Pharmacology, Meikai University School of Dentistry, Sakado, Saitama 350-0283, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furuya
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mimaki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sashida
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakagami
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D002392:Catechin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects*; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D012503:Saponins; D002392:Catechin; C045651:epigallocatechin gallate