Dammarane Triterpene Saponin from Bacopa monniera as the Superoxide Inhibitor in Polymorphonuclear Cells

Abstract

The hydroalcoholic extract of the whole plant of Bacopa monniera Wettst. (Scrophulariaceae), exhibited an inhibitory effect on superoxide released from polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells in the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) assay. The major saponin bacoside A₃ was found to be responsible for this effect in the herb. This compound showed 85, 91.66, 91.66, and 83 % inhibitions of NBT reduction at the concentrations of 200, 100, 50, and 25 μg/ml, respectively, with an IC₅₀ value of 10.22 μg/ml. These inhibitory effects were compared with those of the standard positive controls, quercetin and ascorbic acid with IC₅₀ of 111 and 14.16 μg/ml, respectively. Another major saponin bacopasaponin C was found to be much less potent as compared to bacoside A₃ whereas the remaining two mixtures of saponins were found to be inactive.

References

• 1 Sharma S K, Chunekar K C. Medicinal Plants used in Ayurveda. Sharma SK, editors National Academy of Ayurveda : New Delhi; 1998: Entry number 268: 258
• 2 Bhattacharya S K, Bhattacharya A, Kumar A. Antioxidant activity of Bacopa monniera in rat frontal cortex, striatum and hippocampus.  Phytotherapy Research. 2000;  14 174-9
• 3 Singh H K, Dhawan B N. Effect of Bacopa monniera Linn (Bramhi) extract on avoidance response in rats.  Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 1982;  5 205-14
• 4 Singh H K, Rastogi R P, Srimal R C. Effect of bacoside A & B on the avoidance response in rats.  Phytotherapy Research. 1988;  2 70-5
• 5 Jain P, Kulshreshtha D K. Bacoside A1, a minor saponin from Bacopa monniera .  Phytochemistry. 1993;  33 449-51
• 6 Garai S, Mahato S B, Ohtani K, Yamasaki K. Dammarane-type triterpenoid saponins from Bacopa monniera .  Phytochemistry. 1996;  42 815-20
• 7 Rastogi S, Pal R, Kulshreshtha D K. Bacoside A₃ - a triterpenoid saponin from Bacopa monniera .  Phytochemistry. 1994;  36 133-7
• 8 Gentle T A, Thompson R A. Neutrophil function tests in clinical immunology. In. Clinical immunology: A pracitcal approach:. Googi HC, Chapel H, editors Irl press 51 Oxford; 1990
• 9 Schopf R E, Mattar J, Meyenburg W. Measurement of the respiratory burst in human monocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes by nitroblue tetrazolium reduction and chemiluminescence.  Journal of Immunological Methods. 1984;  67 109-17
• 10 Richardson M P, Ayliffe M J, Helbert M. A simple flow cytometry assay using dihydrorhodamine for the measurement of neutrophil respiratory burst in whole blood: Comparison with quantitative nitroblue tetrazolium test.  Journal of Immunological Methods. 1998;  219 187-93