School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
School of Nursing, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Phytother Res. 2024 Mar;38(3):1651-1680. doi: 10.1002/ptr.8128. Epub 2024 Feb 1.
Drug development for atherosclerosis, the underlying pathological state of ischemic cardiovascular diseases, has posed a longstanding challenge. Saponins, classified as steroid or triterpenoid glycosides, have shown promising therapeutic potential in the treatment of atherosclerosis. Through an exhaustive examination of scientific literature spanning from May 2013 to May 2023, we identified 82 references evaluating 37 types of saponins in terms of their prospective impacts on atherosclerosis. These studies suggest that saponins have the potential to ameliorate atherosclerosis by regulating lipid metabolism, inhibiting inflammation, suppressing apoptosis, reducing oxidative stress, and modulating smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration, as well as regulating gut microbiota, autophagy, endothelial senescence, and angiogenesis. Notably, ginsenosides exhibit significant potential and manifest essential pharmacological attributes, including lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and anti-oxidative stress effects. This review provides a comprehensive examination of the pharmacological attributes of saponins in atherosclerosis, with particular emphasis on their role in the regulation of lipid metabolism regulation and anti-inflammatory effects. Thus, saponins may warrant further investigation as a potential therapy for atherosclerosis. However, due to various reasons such as low oral bioavailability, the clinical application of saponins in the treatment of atherosclerosis still needs further exploration.
治疗动脉粥样硬化（缺血性心血管疾病的潜在病理状态）的药物研发一直以来都是一个巨大的挑战。皂苷，可分为甾体或三萜皂苷，在治疗动脉粥样硬化方面显示出了很有前景的治疗潜力。通过对 2013 年 5 月至 2023 年 5 月期间的科学文献进行全面审查，我们确定了 82 篇评估 37 种皂苷对动脉粥样硬化潜在影响的参考文献。这些研究表明，皂苷可能通过调节脂代谢、抑制炎症、抑制细胞凋亡、减少氧化应激以及调节平滑肌细胞增殖和迁移，同时调节肠道微生物群、自噬、内皮衰老和血管生成，从而改善动脉粥样硬化。值得注意的是，人参皂苷表现出了显著的潜力，并表现出了重要的药理特性，包括降脂、抗炎、抗凋亡和抗氧化应激作用。本综述全面检查了皂苷在动脉粥样硬化中的药理特性，特别强调了它们在调节脂代谢和抗炎作用方面的作用。因此，皂苷可能值得进一步研究作为动脉粥样硬化的潜在治疗方法。然而，由于口服生物利用度低等各种原因，皂苷在治疗动脉粥样硬化中的临床应用仍需进一步探索。
