title: Antifungal activity of C-27 steroidal saponins.
abstract: As part of our search for new antifungal agents from natural resources, 22 C-27 steroidal saponins and 6 steroidal sapogenins isolated from several monocotyledonous plants were tested for their antifungal activity against the opportunistic pathogens Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida krusei, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Aspergillus fumigatus. The results showed that the antifungal activity of the steroidal saponins was associated with their aglycone moieties and the number and structure of monosaccharide units in their sugar chains. Within the 10 active saponins, four tigogenin saponins (compounds 1 to 4) with a sugar moiety of four or five monosaccharide units exhibited significant activity against C. neoformans and A. fumigatus, comparable to the positive control amphotericin B. The antifungal potency of these compounds was not associated with cytotoxicity to mammalian cells. This suggests that the C-27 steroidal saponins may be considered potential antifungal leads for further preclinical study.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS, Kunming 650204, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chong-Ren
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Melissa R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: Shabana I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Ying-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xing-Cong
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000187:drug effects; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects; D041221:Candida glabrata / Q000187:drug effects; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000188:drug therapy; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D012503:Saponins