Marchant M.1, Vinet R.2, Padilla L.3, Guzmán L.1.
1Instituto de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile; 2Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile; 3Natural Response S.A, Quilpué, Chile.
Introduction: Saponins are glycosides which are mostly present in plants comprising any steroid or triterpene; they have a wide range of physiological and pharmacological properties. In Chile, gastric cancer (CG) is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality; therefore, create new forms of treatment for this disease is very important. Objectives: Based on the well-known membrane-disruptive properties of Q. saponaria saponins, we postulate that exposure to saponins produce changes in the cell membrane, so that the cells can enter a state of apoptosis, which triggers a decrease in cell growth. Methods: We used SNU1 (GC), KATO III (GC), and MCF-7 (BC) like positive control. Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO) were used as a control for normal cells. Three extracts derived from Quillaja (90% saponins, QS-18 and QS-21) were tested for Cytotoxicity (CellTiter Promega kit) according to manufacturer’s instructions. The same extracts were tested to evaluate cell dead by staining with trypan blue. DIC microscopy was used to evaluate possible damage to membrane caused by the extracts. Results: All extracts used exhibit antiproliferative activity. The most potent extract was QS-21, which had an effect of 88% cell death at a dose of 30 ppm. The same cell showed complete incorporation of trypan blue in 90% of the culture. Damage in the cell membrane was found by DIC microscopy technique, in a dose that showed significant antiproliferative effect. Conclusion: According to our results Q. saponaria saponins has a significant antiproliferative effect, possibly through the membrane damage of cancer cells causing apoptosis.