Occurrence of saponins and sapogenols in Andean crops

Abstract

Samples of bitter seeds of local ecotypes and cultivars of lupin (Lupin mutabilis), white and yellow ecotypes of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Wild) and a local ecotype of amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus) grown in the Peruvian highlands were analysed for total saponin content and sapogenol composition. Sweet cultivars of L albus and L luteus cultivated in mild-rainy lowlands of Chile were also analysed for comparison. Fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) of the saponin extracts and gas chromatography (GC) analysis of the sapogenols after acid hydrolysis of the crude extract were used for the identification and quantification of saponins. It was found that L albus and amaranth had undetectable levels of saponins making them attractive for human consumption. The cultivars and ecotypes of L mutabilis contained saponin levels in the range of 229.8-390.5 mg kg-'. FAB-MS showed the presence of soya saponins I and 11, whereas GC allowed the identification of soya sapogenols A and B. The same saponin composition was determined in L luteus whose total content was 55.3 mg kg-'. Saponin composition in quinoa seeds comprised oleanolic acid and three other sapogenols identified as hederagenin, phytolaccagenic acid and deoxyphytolaccagenic acid. Oleanolic acid saponins were found to be the main class of saponin in quinoa seeds sampled for this study. The yellow ecotype of quinoa presented a significantly higher content of saponins and of oleanolic acid as compared to white ecotypes. Since only one ecotype of amarinth was analysed, the nutritional significance of no detectable saponin needs further study. It was concluded that the environmental conditions in the Peruvian highlands are determinants of the amount and composition of saponins present in bitter lupin and quinoa.

Biological activities and chemistry of saponins from Chenopodium quinoa Willd.

“…In a previous study by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of the sapogenins in the leaves and the seeds, identified the sapogenins oleanolic acid (I), hederagenin (II), phytolaccagenic acid (III) and serjanic acid (IV) as the major compounds in C. quinoa (Mastebroek et al 2000;Cuadrado et al 1995;Burnouf-Radosevich et al 1985). Fifteen ecotypes from a breeding program of C. quinoa were successfully analyzed for the concentrations of three groups of triterpene saponin, including oleanolic acid, hederagenin, phytolaccagenic acid glycosides (Ng et al 1994).…”

“…The type of inhibition is noncompetitive or competitive depending on both the substituents and the substrate length on the pentacyclic ring system. C. quinoa has been reported to have oleanolic acid (I) as the major aglycone in seeds and hederagenin (II) in leaves (Mastebroek et al 2000;Cuadrado et al 1995). Oleanolic acid and hederagenin (with IC 50 values of 5 and 41 lM) inhibited the serin protease, and porcine pancreatic elastase (Facino et al 1995).…”

“…Triterpene saponins have been found in all parts of the quinoa plant such as leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds and seed coats (Cuadrado et al 1995;Kuljanabhagavad et al 2008;Mastebroek et al 2000;Mizui et al 1988Mizui et al , 1990. The concentration of saponins in quinoa varies with variety and environmental conditions and ranges from 0.01% to 4.65% of dry matter (Koziol 1992).…”

Effect of Germination, under Different Environmental Conditions, on Saponins, Phytic Acid and Tannins in Lentils (Lens culinaris)

“…One microlitre of each sample was injected into a Perkin Elmer (Autosystem) gas chromatograph Ðtted with a SPB-1 capillary column (30 m ] 0É25 mm id, Supelco) and Ñame ionisation detector. The chromatographic conditions and calibration curve were as in Cuadrado et al (1995). A calibration curve was constructed from injections equivalent to 0È1É25 kg kl~1 soyasaponin I hydrolysed and derivatised to produce soyasapogenol B.…”

The Variation in Content and Changes during Development of Soyasaponin I in Dehulled Swedish Peas (Pisum sativum L)

“…The soyasaponins are comprised of a triterpenoid soyasapogenol with one or more carbohydrate side-chains attached. Several di †erent soyasaponins have been reported in leguminous crops (Ireland et al 1986 ;Curl et al 1988 ;Price et al 1988 ;Cuadrado et al 1995). In peas, a domestic protein crop in Sweden, only one soyasaponin, soyasaponin I (Fig 1), have been reported (Price and Fenwick 1984 ;Curl et al 1985).…”