Characterization and antimutagenic activity of soybean saponins

An extract was prepared from a commercial soybean-processing by-product (so ybean molasses) and was fractionated into purified chemical components. In previous work, this extract (phytochemical concentrate, PCC) repressed indu ced genomic DNA damage, whole cell clastogenicity and point mutation in cul tured mammalian cells. In the current study, a chemical fraction was isolat ed from PCC using preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) . This fraction, PCC100, repressed 2-acetoxyacetylaminofluorene (2AAAF)-ind uced DNA damage in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells as measured by single cell gel electrophoresis (alkaline Comet assay). Using liquid chromatograph y-electrospray ionization-mass spectroscopy and H-1 and C-13 nuclear magnet ic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, PCC100 was shown to consist of a mixture o f group B soyasaponins and 2,3-dihydro-2,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-on e (DDMP) soyasaponins. These include soyasaponins I, II, III, IV, V, Be, be ta g, beta a, gamma g and gamma a. Purified soyasapogenol B aglycone prepar ed from fraction PCC100 demonstrated significant antigenotoxic activity aga inst 2AAAF. To our knowledge, these data demonstrate for the first time the antimutagenic activity of soybean saponins in mammalian cells. (C) 2000 El sevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.