Saponin, chemical structure

The primary chemicals of interest in chilies are capsaicinoids, namely capsaicin (0.02%) and dihydrocapsaicin (figure 8.11). Also found are flavonoids, carotenoids (capsanthin), steroid saponins (capsicidin), and ascorbic acid or vitamin C (0.2%). Capsaicin has a vanilloid chemical structure. Mechanisms of Action... 

Yoshiki Y, Kodon S and Okubo K (1998) Relationship between chemical structures and biological activities of triterpenoid saponins from soybean. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 62, 2291-2199. 

FIGURE 7.2. Chemical structure of a saponin from Acacia Auriculiformis. 

Compounds with different structures but with the same therapeutic activity isolated from different plant species act as active moieties for the treatment of particular diseases. Some of these compounds have been abandoned due to toxicity but these compounds apparently do not cause serious adverse effects. Some of these active principles originate from edible plants and their inclusion in the diet would undoubtedly be of some value because of their hypocholesterolemic potential. Several phytoconstituents including inulin, pectin, gugglu lipids, flavonoids, ginkoloids, saponins, tannins, and others obtained from various plant sources have proven hypolipidemic potentials as has been further explained in Tables I and II. The chemical structures of a few potential phytoconstituents with hypolipidemic activity are shown in Figure 2. It is hoped that as new additions are made to the list of these active compounds causing only minimum untoward side effects, these naturally... 

Figure 6.4 Chemical structures of estranes, androstanes, cardiac glycosides steroid saponins and steroid alkaloids mentioned in the text.

Yoshiki Y, Kudou S, Okubo K (1998) Relationship Between Chemical Structures and Biological Activities of Triterpenoid Saponins from Soybean (Review). Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 62 2291... 

Structure Eludication. The isolated pure saponins are investigated for their chemical structures by chemical and spectroscopic... 

It is evident that aldehyde-containing saponins, particularly those from Quillaja saponaria Molina, have unique features which provide them with particular immune stimulating properties. However, some of their chemical properties cause instability and toxicity which interfere with their utility as adjuvants. A better understanding of the underlying relationships between the saponin s chemical structure and biological functions, such as immune system modulation and toxicity, would allow the future development of semi-synthetic and synthetic molecules having the advantages but not the liabilities of these natural products. 

L. Preliminary Studies of Antiviral Activity of Triterpenoid Saponins Relationships Between Their Chemical Structures and Antiviral Activity. Planta Medica. 1990, 56, 652-653. 

Fischer from Xinjiang, China. Chemical Structures of Licorice-Saponin L3 and Isoliquiritin Apioside. Chem. Pharm. Bull. (Japan), 41, 1567 (1993). 

The pharmacological activities of saponins were recently reviewed by Lacaille-Dubois and Wagner (1996). Apart from the local detergent and wound-healing effects, saponins have a range of systemic effects according to their chemical structures (see Table 6.1). 

The neuroprotective actions of B. monnieri are mainly attributed by bacosides, which are dammarane type of triterpenoid saponins [34]. Bacosides were initially thought to be the mixture of bacoside A (melting point 250 °C) and B (melting point 203 °C). But later on, it was revealed that they are the stereoisomers of the same compound, where bacoside A was found levorotatory and bacoside B dextrorotatory [35]. The other active agents as extracted from this medicinal plant, namely, bacopasaponins A, B, C, D, E, and F [36] and also bacopasides I, II, III, IV, and V, were isolated and characterized [37, 38]. Figure 120.6 depicts chemical structures of some important saponins obtained from B. monnieri. 

Fig. 3.4 The chemical structure of the most active saponin from Potentilla anserina L.

FIGURE 1 Chemical structure of the main aglycones steroidal (A) and triterpenic (B) saponins. 

E. C. (1988b). Incorporation of the major outer membrane protein of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in saponin-Upid complexes (Iscoms) Chemical analysis, some structural features, and comparison of their immunogenicity with three other antigen delivery systems, Inf. Immun., 56, 432-438. 

The utility of mass selective detection is greatest when analyzing compounds that do not contain chromophores or when structural information is needed for chemical identification. Triterpene saponins contain very weak chromophores and have long been associated with a variety of biological activities including... 

Saponins are glycosylated secondary metabolites that are widely distributed in the Plant Kingdom.3,4 They are a diverse and chemically complex family of compounds that can be divided into three major groups depending on the structure of the aglycone, which may be a steroid, a steroidal alkaloid, or a triterpenoid. These molecules have been proposed to contribute to plant defense.3 6 Saponins are also exploited as drugs and medicines and for a variety of other purposes.4 Despite the considerable commercial interest in this important group of natural products, little is known about their biosynthesis. This is due in part to the complexity of the molecules, and also to the lack of pathway intermediates for biochemical studies. 

Hydrolysis of thelothurins A and B, the defensive saponins of the Indo-Pacific sea cucumber Thelonota ananas, with aqueous acetic acid yields the genuine aglycones (51) and (52) whose structures were proved chemically by interrelation... 

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