Therapeutic Effects of Saponins for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer by Ameliorating Inflammation and Angiogenesis and Inducing Antioxidant and Apoptotic Effects in Human Cells
Saponins are natural compounds found in plants and have a diverse range of applications. However, the therapeutic potential of saponins in regulating cytotoxicity, angiogenesis, and inflammation in mammalian cells is yet to be explored. Here, we investigated the therapeutic effects of saponins from...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/18/10665 |
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| author | Muhammad Imran Khan Gul Karima Muhammad Zubair Khan Jin Hyuk Shin Jong Deog Kim |
| author_facet | Muhammad Imran Khan Gul Karima Muhammad Zubair Khan Jin Hyuk Shin Jong Deog Kim |
| author_sort | Muhammad Imran Khan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Saponins are natural compounds found in plants and have a diverse range of applications. However, the therapeutic potential of saponins in regulating cytotoxicity, angiogenesis, and inflammation in mammalian cells is yet to be explored. Here, we investigated the therapeutic effects of saponins from green tea by exploring the cytotoxic effects of saponins by inducing apoptosis in the human cancer cell lines hepatocellular carcinoma (HEPG2) and colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT29). The anti-angiogenesis effect of saponins was also investigated in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). We explored the ability of saponins to attenuate inflammation in a dose-dependent manner in normal human cells. It was found that saponins exhibit cytotoxic effects in cancer cells and not in normal cells at the same concentration. Cytotoxicity was measured by inducing apoptosis by enhancing caspase-3 (cas-3) activation and B-cell lymphoma-2 (<i>Bcl-2</i>)-associated X protein (<i>BAX</i>) gene expression and suppressing the antiapoptotic protein, Bcl-2. The inhibition of HUVEC proliferation was due to the suppression of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (<i>AKT</i>), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (<i>VEGFR-2</i>), and nuclear factor kappa B (<i>NF-κB</i>). We also observed the antioxidant potential of green tea-derived saponins against free radicals in reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced cells. Here we observed that the saponins exhibited free radical scavenging activities and activated nuclear factorerythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF-2) leading to the upregulation of antioxidant-related genes in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the anti-inflammatory effects were due to the suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in HEK293 cells. The significance of the work is we are the first to report on the anti-cancer effects of saponins based on the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-angiogenesis, and apoptosis induction properties. In conclusion, green tea-derived saponins could be effective therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:44:37Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:44:37Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
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| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-3a9cd6754af346288eea7319064a82df2023-11-23T16:45:58ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672022-09-0123181066510.3390/ijms231810665Therapeutic Effects of Saponins for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer by Ameliorating Inflammation and Angiogenesis and Inducing Antioxidant and Apoptotic Effects in Human CellsMuhammad Imran Khan0Gul Karima1Muhammad Zubair Khan2Jin Hyuk Shin3Jong Deog Kim4Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Kohsar University, Murree 47150, PakistanDepartment of Bionanotechnology, Graduate School, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Yeosu 59626, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Yeosu 59626, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Yeosu 59626, Republic of KoreaSaponins are natural compounds found in plants and have a diverse range of applications. However, the therapeutic potential of saponins in regulating cytotoxicity, angiogenesis, and inflammation in mammalian cells is yet to be explored. Here, we investigated the therapeutic effects of saponins from green tea by exploring the cytotoxic effects of saponins by inducing apoptosis in the human cancer cell lines hepatocellular carcinoma (HEPG2) and colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT29). The anti-angiogenesis effect of saponins was also investigated in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). We explored the ability of saponins to attenuate inflammation in a dose-dependent manner in normal human cells. It was found that saponins exhibit cytotoxic effects in cancer cells and not in normal cells at the same concentration. Cytotoxicity was measured by inducing apoptosis by enhancing caspase-3 (cas-3) activation and B-cell lymphoma-2 (<i>Bcl-2</i>)-associated X protein (<i>BAX</i>) gene expression and suppressing the antiapoptotic protein, Bcl-2. The inhibition of HUVEC proliferation was due to the suppression of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (<i>AKT</i>), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (<i>VEGFR-2</i>), and nuclear factor kappa B (<i>NF-κB</i>). We also observed the antioxidant potential of green tea-derived saponins against free radicals in reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced cells. Here we observed that the saponins exhibited free radical scavenging activities and activated nuclear factorerythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF-2) leading to the upregulation of antioxidant-related genes in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the anti-inflammatory effects were due to the suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in HEK293 cells. The significance of the work is we are the first to report on the anti-cancer effects of saponins based on the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-angiogenesis, and apoptosis induction properties. In conclusion, green tea-derived saponins could be effective therapeutics for the treatment of cancer.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/18/10665apoptosiscytotoxicityinflammationNRF-2saponinsIL-1β |
| spellingShingle | Muhammad Imran Khan Gul Karima Muhammad Zubair Khan Jin Hyuk Shin Jong Deog Kim Therapeutic Effects of Saponins for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer by Ameliorating Inflammation and Angiogenesis and Inducing Antioxidant and Apoptotic Effects in Human Cells International Journal of Molecular Sciences apoptosis cytotoxicity inflammation NRF-2 saponins IL-1β |
| title | Therapeutic Effects of Saponins for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer by Ameliorating Inflammation and Angiogenesis and Inducing Antioxidant and Apoptotic Effects in Human Cells |
| title_full | Therapeutic Effects of Saponins for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer by Ameliorating Inflammation and Angiogenesis and Inducing Antioxidant and Apoptotic Effects in Human Cells |
| title_fullStr | Therapeutic Effects of Saponins for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer by Ameliorating Inflammation and Angiogenesis and Inducing Antioxidant and Apoptotic Effects in Human Cells |
| title_full_unstemmed | Therapeutic Effects of Saponins for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer by Ameliorating Inflammation and Angiogenesis and Inducing Antioxidant and Apoptotic Effects in Human Cells |
| title_short | Therapeutic Effects of Saponins for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer by Ameliorating Inflammation and Angiogenesis and Inducing Antioxidant and Apoptotic Effects in Human Cells |
| title_sort | therapeutic effects of saponins for the prevention and treatment of cancer by ameliorating inflammation and angiogenesis and inducing antioxidant and apoptotic effects in human cells |
| topic | apoptosis cytotoxicity inflammation NRF-2 saponins IL-1β |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/18/10665 |
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