Segal R, Schlösser E
Arch Microbiol. 1975 Jun 22;104(2):147-50. doi: 10.1007/BF00447315.
In studies on the membranlytic action of various saponins on mycelium of Botrytis cinerea and Rhizoctonia solani digitonin, alpha-hederin and tomatin caused considerable leakage of free amino acids, while aescin and theasaponin were less effective. Cyclamin significantly damaged cell membranes of R. solani, but did not change the selective permeability of B. cinerea. Cell membrane disruption was accompanied by an enzymatic conversion of saponins into their corresponding aglycones in cell membrane vicinity, an effect which was significantly inhibited by aldonolactones, known inhibitors of beta-glycosidases. These results lead to the conclusion that the hardly water soluble aglycones are the active part of the saponin molecules, the saponins themselves being only water soluble transport forms. It follows, that the presence of appropriate glycosidases in cell membranes, capable of converting saponins into their aglycones, is a prerequisite for the membranlytic action of saponins. The similarity of the membranlytic effects of saponins towards fungi and erythrocytes is descussed.
在关于各种皂苷对灰葡萄孢菌和立枯丝核菌菌丝体的膜溶解作用的研究中，洋地黄皂苷、α - 常春藤皂苷和番茄皂苷导致游离氨基酸大量泄漏，而七叶皂苷和茶皂苷的效果较差。仙客来皂苷显著破坏立枯丝核菌的细胞膜，但未改变灰葡萄孢菌的选择性通透性。细胞膜破坏伴随着皂苷在细胞膜附近酶促转化为其相应的苷元，已知β - 糖苷酶抑制剂醛糖内酯可显著抑制这一效应。这些结果得出结论：难溶于水的苷元是皂苷分子的活性部分，皂苷本身只是水溶性的运输形式。由此可见，细胞膜中存在能够将皂苷转化为其苷元的合适糖苷酶是皂苷产生膜溶解作用的前提条件。文中还讨论了皂苷对真菌和红细胞的膜溶解作用的相似性。
