Determination and toxicity of saponins from Amaranthus cruentus seeds

The concentrations of four triterpene saponins present in amaranth seeds we re determined with high-performance liquid chromatography. It was shown tha t the total concentration of saponins in seeds was 0.09-0.1% of dry matter. In germinating seeds an increase in concentration to 0.18% was observed af ter 4 days of germination, which remained stable for the next 3 days and la ter dropped to 0.09%. Highly purified extracts from the seeds were tested f or their toxicity against hamsters. The hydrophobic fraction obtained by th e extraction of seeds with methylene chloride showed no toxicity; the behav ior of tested animals was similar to that of the group given an equivalent dose of rapeseed oil. A crude saponin fraction, containing similar to 70% o f pure saponins in the matrix, showed some toxicity; the approximate lethal dose was calculated as 1100 mg/kg of body weight. It is concluded that low contents of saponins in amaranth seeds and their relatively low toxicity g uarantee that amaranth-derived products create no significant hazard for th e consumer.