Pharmacological studies and anti-cancer mechanisms of soyasaponins: Research advances / 国际药学研究杂志

ABSTRACT

Soyasaponins are the major bioactive ingredients in plants of Leguminosae, which have been used as food addictives, cosmetics and healthy products for a long time and have shown hypolipidemic and anti-aging effects. Recently, pharmacological studies found that soyasaponins have many other effects including anti-inflammation, anti-coagulation, anti-mutagenesis, anti-tumor and renin inhibition. Among these effects, anti-tumor function of soyasaponins is one of the hot research spots. Studies demonstrated that decreasing sialic acid, inhibiting activity of protein kinase, interfering cell cycle, disrupting cell membranes and inducing apoptosis are all the possible underlying mechanisms. In this review, the recent advances in the study on chemical structure, pharmacological activities and anti-tumor mechanism of soyasaponins are reviewed, and the future developmental prospects of soyasaponins are also discussed.