title: Cytotoxic activities and structure-cytotoxic relationships of steroidal saponins.
abstract: We have systematically examined the cytotoxic activities of the steroidal saponins mainly isolated from the Liliaceae plants against HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells and found several structure-activity relationships. Some steroidal saponins evaluated in the assay system showed considerable cytotoxic activities, which were almost as potent as that of etoposide used as a positive control. The activities were found to be sensitive to the monosaccharides constituting the sugar moieties and their sequences, as well as to the structures of the aglycons.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medicinal Plant Science, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, Hachioji, Japan. mimakiy@ps.toyaku.ac.jp
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mimaki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yokosuka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sashida
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004144:Diosgenin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D018922:HL-60 Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D019668:Liliaceae / Q000737:chemistry; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D012503:Saponins; D004144:Diosgenin