2. Academic Validation
  3. A new dammarane-type saponin from Gynostemma pentaphyllum induces apoptosis in A549 human lung carcinoma cells

A new dammarane-type saponin from Gynostemma pentaphyllum induces apoptosis in A549 human lung carcinoma cells

  • Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2016 Apr 1;26(7):1754-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.02.046.
Shao-Fang Xing 1,  Moonhee Jang 2,  Yu-Rong Wang 1,  Xiang-Lan Piao 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Institute of Chinese Minority Traditional Medicine, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, PR China.
  • 2 National Forensic Service, 139 Jiyang-ro, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul 158-707, Republic of Korea.
  • 3 Institute of Chinese Minority Traditional Medicine, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, PR China. Electronic address: xlpiao@163.com.
PMID: 26922140 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.02.046
Abstract

Gynostemma pentaphyllum has been widely used as a traditional herb for its antioxidant and immunostimulatory activities. We have previously reported several useful dammarane-type saponins with cytotoxicity against A549 human lung Cancer cells from heat-processed G. pentaphyllum. In this study, a new dammarane-type saponin, 20(S)-2α,3β,12β-tetrahydroxydammar-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (namely gypenoside Jh1), was isolated from the ethanol extract of heat-processed G. pentaphyllum using column chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC. Gypenoside Jh1 exhibited strong cytotoxicity against A549 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, which was associated with apoptotic cell death characterized by morphological changes, Hoechst 33258 nuclear staining, Annexin V and propidium iodide binding and mitochondrial potentials assay. Quantitative analysis using flow cytometry also showed that the proportion of apoptotic cells was increased after gypenoside Jh1 treatment. These findings indicated that gypenoside Jh1 showed antiproliferative effects on A549 cells and mitochondrial-dependent pathway is involved in gypenoside Jh1-induced Apoptosis.

Keywords

A549 human lung cancer cells; Apoptosis; Cytotoxicity; Gynostemma pentaphyllum; Gypenoside.

Figures