Effect of soy saponin on the growth of human colon cancer cells.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of extracted soybean saponins on the growth of human colon cancer cells.


METHODS
WiDr human colon cancer cells were treated with 150, 300, 600 or 1200 ppm of soy saponin to determine the effect on cell growth, cell morphology, alkaline phosphatase (AP) and protein kinase C (PKC) activities, and P53 protein, c-Fos and c-Jun gene expression.


RESULTS
Soy saponin decreased the number of viable cells in a dose-dependent manner and suppressed 12-O-tetradecanol-phorbol-13-acetate-stimulated PKC activity (P < 0.05). Cells treated with saponins developed cytoplasmic vesicles and the cell membrane became rougher and more irregular in a dose-dependent manner, and eventually disassembled. At 600 and 1200 ppm, the activity of AP was increased (P < 0.05). However, the apoptosis markers such as c-Jun and c-Fos were not significantly affected by saponin.


CONCLUSIONS
Soy saponin may be effective in preventing colon cancer by affecting cell morphology, cell proliferation enzymes, and cell growth.
Tsai
Cheng-Yu
CY
School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan, China.
Chen
Yue-Hwa
YH
Chien
Yi-Wen
YW
Huang
Wen-Hsuan
WH
Lin
Shyh-Hsiang
SH
D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000378:metabolism; D012503:Saponins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013025:Glycine max / Q000737:chemistry*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism
D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D012503:Saponins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase