ABSTRACT
Two oligofurostanosides were isolated from the seeds of Asparagus officinalis L and their structures characterized as 3-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-(alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl- (1-->4))-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-26-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-(25R) -22 alpha-methoxyfurost-5-ene-3 beta,26-diol(methyl protodioscin) and its corresponding 22 alpha-hydroxy analogue (protodioscin). The structural identification was performed using detailed analysis of 1H- and 13C-NMR spectra including two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy (COSY, HMQC, NOESY and HMBC), and chemical conversions. These two compounds have been shown to inhibit the growth of human leukemia HL-60 cells in culture and macromolecular synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibitory effect on DNA synthesis was found to be irreversible.
Subject(s)
HL-60 Cells/drug effects , Saponins/chemistry , Steroids/chemistry , Vegetables/chemistry , Carbohydrate Conformation , Carbohydrate Sequence , Cell Division/drug effects , Cell Survival/drug effects , Humans , Molecular Sequence Data , Plant Extracts , Saponins/isolation & purification , Saponins/toxicity , Seeds/chemistry , Steroids/isolation & purification , Steroids/toxicityABSTRACT
The crude saponins from the shoots (edible part of asparagus) of asparagus (asparagus crude saponins; ACS) were found to have antitumor activity. The ACS inhibited the growth of human leukemia HL-60 cells in culture and macromolecular synthesis in a dose and time dependent manner. The ACS at 75-100 micrograms/ml range was cytostatic. ACS concentrations greater than 200 micrograms/ml were cytocidal to HL-60 cells. The ACS at 6 and 50 micrograms/ml inhibited the synthesis of DNA, RNA and protein in HL-60 cells by 41, 5, and 4, respectively, or by 84, 68 and 59%, respectively. The inhibitory effect of ACS on DNA synthesis was irreversible.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Saponins/pharmacology , Vegetables/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/isolation & purification , Carbohydrate Sequence , DNA, Neoplasm/biosynthesis , HL-60 Cells/drug effects , HL-60 Cells/metabolism , Humans , Molecular Sequence Data , Neoplasm Proteins/biosynthesis , Plant Extracts/isolation & purification , RNA, Neoplasm/biosynthesis , Saponins/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
Mitochondria from tomato fruit (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) exhibited a respiratory control ratio of 2.5 and an ADP:O ratio of 1.3 for succinate oxidation for 24 hours after isolation. They also showed a delay in response to the first addition of ADP. The addition of ATP and ADP before succinate eliminated the delayed response as did chelation of endogenous cations with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. The addition of ATP after succinate resulted in a longer delay in response than that obtained with ADP. Exogenous oxaloacetate in low concentration inhibited respiration in states 3 and 4 with succinate and resulted in delayed response to ADP. The function of adenine nucleotide during the delay in response may be to promote the metabolism of oxaloacetate or to decrease the affinity of oxaloacetate to its site of inhibition.
