Effect of Soyasaponin Fractions on Human Colon Cancer Cells

Group B saponins, the predominant form of saponins in heat-treated soy products, have been shown to possess hypocholesterolemic, antimutagenic, and anticarcinogenic properties. Previous studies have evaluated crude mixtures of soyasaponins, but studies evaluating a single purified soyasaponin as an anticarcinogenic agent are limited. The goal of this study is to examine the effects of purified soyasaponins I and III as well as their aglycone form, soyasapogenol B, as anticarcinogenic agents on the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2. Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of purified soyasaponins on cell proliferation, Protein Kinase C (PKC) activity, and cell morphology in cultures of Caco-2 cells. Treatment of cells with soyasaponins I and III at concentrations of 300-900 ppm significantly reduced viable cell numbers after 48 and 72 hours of exposure by 10-35% (