Anti-inflammatory and modulatory effects of steroidal saponins and sapogenins on cytokines: A review of pre-clinical research

Fabiolla Rocha Santos Passos; Heitor Gomes Araújo-Filho; Brenda Souza Monteiro; Saravanan Shanmugam; Adriano Antunes de Souza Araújo; Jackson Roberto Guedes da Silva Almeida; Parimelazhagan Thangaraj; Lucindo José Quintans Júnior; Jullyana de Souza Siqueira Quintans

doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153842

Anti-inflammatory and modulatory effects of steroidal saponins and sapogenins on cytokines: A review of pre-clinical research

Phytomedicine. 2022 Feb:96:153842. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153842. Epub 2021 Oct 31.

Authors

Fabiolla Rocha Santos Passos¹, Heitor Gomes Araújo-Filho², Brenda Souza Monteiro², Saravanan Shanmugam³, Adriano Antunes de Souza Araújo³, Jackson Roberto Guedes da Silva Almeida⁴, Parimelazhagan Thangaraj⁵, Lucindo José Quintans Júnior¹, Jullyana de Souza Siqueira Quintans⁶

Affiliations

¹ Multiuser Health Center Facility (CMulti-Saúde), Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil; Health Sciences Graduate Program (PPGCS), Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil; Laboratory of Neurosciences and Pharmacological Assays (LANEF), Department of Physiology, Federal University of Sergipe, Marechal Rondon Avenue, S/N, Rosa Elza, São Cristóvão, Brazil.
² Laboratory of Neurosciences and Pharmacological Assays (LANEF), Department of Physiology, Federal University of Sergipe, Marechal Rondon Avenue, S/N, Rosa Elza, São Cristóvão, Brazil.
³ Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil.
⁴ Federal University of Vale do São Francisco, Petrolina, PE, Brazil.
⁵ Department of Botany, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India.
⁶ Multiuser Health Center Facility (CMulti-Saúde), Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil; Health Sciences Graduate Program (PPGCS), Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil; Laboratory of Neurosciences and Pharmacological Assays (LANEF), Department of Physiology, Federal University of Sergipe, Marechal Rondon Avenue, S/N, Rosa Elza, São Cristóvão, Brazil. Electronic address: jullyana@pq.cnpq.br.

PMID: 34952766
DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153842

Abstract

Background: Saponins are glycosides which, after acid hydrolysis, liberate sugar(s) and an aglycone (sapogenin) which can be triterpenoid or steroidal in nature. Steroidal saponins and sapogenins have attracted significant attention as important natural anti-inflammatory compounds capable of acting on the activity of several inflammatory cytokines in various inflammatory models.

Purpose: The aim of this review is to collect preclinical in vivo studies on the anti-inflammatory activity of steroidal saponins through the modulation of inflammatory cytokines.

Study design and methods: This review was carried out through a specialized search in three databases, that were accessed between September and October, 2021, and the publication period of the articles was not limited. Information about the name of the steroidal saponins, the animals used, the dose and route of administration, the model of pain or inflammation used, the tissue and experimental method used in the measurement of the cytokines, and the results observed on the levels of cytokines was retrieved.

Results: Forty-five (45) articles met the inclusion criteria, involving the saponins cantalasaponin-1, α-chaconine, dioscin, DT-13, lycoperoside H, protodioscin, α-solanine, timosaponin AIII and BII, trillin, and the sapogenins diosgenin, hecogenin, and ruscogenin. The surveys were carried out in seven different countries and only articles between 2007 and 2021 were found. The studies included in the review showed that the saponins and sapogenins were anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and antioxidant and they modulate inflammatory cytokines mainly through the Nf-κB, TLR4 and MAPKs pathways.

Conclusion: Steroidal saponins and sapogenins are promising compounds in handling of pain and inflammation for the development of natural product-derived drugs. However, it is necessary to increase the methodological quality of preclinical studies, mainly blinding and sample size calculation.

Keywords: Chronic inflammation; Cytokine; Inflammation; Steroidal saponins.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology
Cytokines
Sapogenins* / pharmacology
Saponins* / pharmacology
Triterpenes*

Substances

Anti-Inflammatory Agents
Cytokines
Sapogenins
Saponins
Triterpenes