Elekofehinti Olusola Olalekan, Iwaloye Opeyemi, Olawale Femi, Ariyo Esther Opeyemi
Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology Akure, PMB 704, Nigeria.
Nanogene and Drug Delivery Group, Department of Biochemistry, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa.
Pathophysiology. 2021 Jun 5;28(2):250-272. doi: 10.3390/pathophysiology28020017.
Saponins are steroidal or triterpenoid glycoside that is distinguished by the soap-forming nature. Different saponins have been characterized and purified and are gaining attention in cancer chemotherapy. Saponins possess high structural diversity, which is linked to the anticancer activities. Several studies have reported the role of saponins in cancer and the mechanism of actions, including cell-cycle arrest, antioxidant activity, cellular invasion inhibition, induction of apoptosis and autophagy. Despite the extensive research and significant anticancer effects of saponins, there are currently no known FDA-approved saponin-based anticancer drugs. This can be attributed to a number of limitations, including toxicities and drug-likeness properties. Recent studies have explored options such as combination therapy and drug delivery systems to ensure increased efficacy and decreased toxicity in saponin. This review discusses the current knowledge on different saponins, their anticancer activity and mechanisms of action, as well as promising research within the last two decades and recommendations for future studies.
皂苷是一类甾体或三萜类糖苷，其特点是具有形成肥皂的性质。不同的皂苷已被鉴定和纯化，并在癌症化疗中受到关注。皂苷具有高度的结构多样性，这与它们的抗癌活性有关。多项研究报道了皂苷在癌症中的作用及其作用机制，包括细胞周期阻滞、抗氧化活性、抑制细胞侵袭、诱导细胞凋亡和自噬。尽管对皂苷进行了广泛的研究且其具有显著的抗癌作用，但目前尚无美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）批准的基于皂苷的抗癌药物。这可归因于许多限制因素，包括毒性和类药性质。最近的研究探索了联合治疗和药物递送系统等选择，以确保提高皂苷的疗效并降低其毒性。本综述讨论了关于不同皂苷的现有知识、它们的抗癌活性和作用机制，以及过去二十年中的有前景的研究和对未来研究的建议。
