Cancer saponins

Shibata, S. (2001). Chemistry and cancer preventing activities of ginseng saponins and some related triterpenoid compounds. /. Korean Med. Sci. 16(Suppl.), S28-S37. 

Caesalpinia sappan L. Su Mu (Mysore thorn) (heart wood) Brasilin, tetraacetylbrazilin, proesapanin A, essential oils, tannic acid, gallic acid, saponin.33-49-50 Activate blood flow, remove blood stasis, reduce swelling, against human cancer cells. 

Dioscorea bulbifera L. Huang Yao Zi (Potato yam) (rhizome) Saponins, dioscorecin, iodine, dioscoretoxin, saponins, diosgenin, diosbulbin, tannins, campesterol, beta-sotpsterols, stigmasterol, diosbulbines 3348 Treat cancer, goiter. 

N.A. Wisteria floribunda (Willd.) DC W. brachybotrys Sieb. et Zucc. Isoflavonoids, triterpenoid saponins, dehydro soyas aponin, triterpenoids 330>33 1332 Antitumor, treat gastric cancer. 

In the intestine, saponins bind to mucosal cell membranes and change their physiology. Since the membranes of some cancer cells contain more cholesterol than do normal cells membranes [156], it is possible that saponins bind more to cancer cells and as a result induce their destruction. Since saponins are surface-active compounds that are not absorbed, their possible interaction with intestinal mucosal cell membranes must be emphasized. Because the average transit time of food is 24h, saponins can either in the intact or in the partly hydrolyzed form, remain in the intestine long enough to interact with free sterols and membrane lipids [157]. 

Kang J-H, Sung M-K, Kawada T et al. Soybean saponins suppress the release of proin-flammatory mediators by LPS-stimulated peritoneal macrophages. Cancer Lett. 2005, 230 219-227. 

Raju, J., Patio I la, J.M., Swamy, M.V. and Rao, C.V. (2004) Diosgenin, a steroid saponin of Trigonella foenum graecum (Fenugreek), inhibits azoxymethane-induced aberrant crypt foci formation in F344 rats and induces apoptosis in HT-29 human colon cancer cells. Annals of New York Academy of Sciences 1 3(8), 1392-1398. 

There are abundant and diverse flavonoids with carbohydrates and lipids, alkaloids (betalain alkaloids and other alkaloids), phenols (chromones, cou-marins, lignans, quinines, and other phenolics), terpenoids (monoterpenoids, sesquiterpene lactones, triperpenoid saponins, carotenoids, and other terpenoids), and minerals as micronutritional phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables of our daily diets. Among these phytochemicals, the flavonoids have specific functionality in relation to age-related diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiac infarction, cataracts, and cancer. The authors of each chapter in the first section have presented their evidence in relation to the mechanism of the preventative and therapeutic ability of the compounds. 

Shibata S, Fujita M, Itokawa H, Tanaka O. Studies on the constituents of Japanese and Chinese crude drugs. XL Panaxadiol, a sapogenin of Ginseng roots. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 1963 1 759. Shibata S. Chemistry and cancer preventing activities of ginseng saponins and some related triterpenoid compounds. J. Korean Med. Sci. 2001 16(suppl S) S28-S37. 

Annona senegalensis stem bark is used for the treatment of hysteria and a constituent of its root bark has been found efiective for treating cancer using sarcoma 180 ascites cells (75). The bark and root are used in the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (18). The root bark contains cardenolides, glycosides and saponins. The stem bark contains anthranoids, cardenolides, glycosides saponins and terpenoids (50,18). Its fraits are edible and are taken for diarrhoea, dysentery and vomiting (23,33). 

MacDonald RS, Guo J, Copeland J, et al. Environmental influences on isoflavones and saponins in soybeans and their role in colon cancer. J Nutr 2005 May 135(5) 1239-1242. 

Hu K, Yao X (2003) The Cytotoxicity of Methyl Protoneogracillin (NSC-698793) and Gracillin (NSC-698787), Two Steroidal Saponins from the Rhizomes of Dioscorea collettii var. hypoglauca, Against Human Cancer Cells in vitro. Phytother Res 17 620... 

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