Balestrazzi Alma, Carbonera Daniela, Avato Pinarosa, Tava Aldo
Department of Biology and Biotechnology 'L. Spallanzani', University of Pavia, via Ferrata 1, 27100- Pavia, Italy.
Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2014;14(10):1324-31. doi: 10.2174/1872211308666140630123406.
In animal cells, the anticancer function played by plant saponins involves a complex network of molecular processes that still deserves investigation and apoptosis seems to be the outstanding pathway. An intriguing aspect of the biological activity of saponins is related to their effects on genome integrity. As demonstrated by the studies carried out in white poplar (Populus alba L., cv Villafranca) cell suspension cultures, plant cells can as well be used as a model system to unravel the molecular mechanisms activated by plant saponins. These recent studies have evidenced that animal and plant cells share common features in their response to saponins, paving the way for novel opportunities for both basic and applied research. Indeed, there is a certain interest in replacing the animal models for pharmacological research, at least when preliminary large-scale cytotoxicity tests are performed on wide collections of natural extracts and/or purified compounds. The review provides an up-date of the molecular pathways (signal transduction, antioxidant response, DNA repair) associated with plant saponin bioactivity, with an emphasis on apoptosis induced by alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) saponins. The comparison between animal and plant cells as tools for the study of saponin bioactivity is also discussed in view of the most recent literature and innovative future applications.
在动物细胞中，植物皂苷发挥的抗癌功能涉及一个复杂的分子过程网络，该网络仍值得深入研究，且细胞凋亡似乎是其中的主要途径。皂苷生物活性的一个有趣方面与其对基因组完整性的影响有关。正如在白杨（Populus alba L., cv Villafranca）细胞悬浮培养物中所进行的研究所表明的，植物细胞也可作为一种模型系统，用于揭示植物皂苷激活的分子机制。这些最新研究已证明，动物细胞和植物细胞在对皂苷的反应方面具有共同特征，为基础研究和应用研究带来了新的机遇。实际上，人们对于替代用于药理学研究的动物模型存在一定兴趣，至少在对大量天然提取物和/或纯化化合物进行初步大规模细胞毒性测试时是如此。这篇综述提供了与植物皂苷生物活性相关的分子途径（信号转导、抗氧化反应、DNA修复）的最新信息，重点关注苜蓿（Medicago sativa L.）皂苷诱导的细胞凋亡。鉴于最新文献和创新的未来应用，还讨论了将动物细胞和植物细胞作为研究皂苷生物活性工具的比较。
