Recherche

Microwave-Assisted Desulfation of the Hemolytic Saponins Extracted from Holothuria scabra Viscera

Publié le 2 février 2022
Rédigé par Eric Weverbergh
Saponins are plant and marine animal specific metabolites that are commonly considered as molecular vectors for chemical defenses against unicellular and pluricellular organisms. Their toxicity is attributed to their membranolytic properties. Modifying the molecular structures of saponins...
Mass spectrometry analysis of two different saponin extracts: (a) the purified saponin extract with detection of sulfated 4-sugar saponin ions, desulfated 4-sugar saponin ions, sulfated 2-sugar saponin ions and desulfated 2-sugar saponin ions; and (b) the microwave-assisted alkaline desulfation (pH 14—100 °C—5 min) reaction products with 4-sugar desulfated saponin ions and 2-sugar desulfated saponin ions.
Mass spectrometry analysis of two different saponin extracts: (a) the purified saponin extract with detection of sulfated 4-sugar saponin ions, desulfated 4-sugar saponin ions, sulfated 2-sugar saponin ions and desulfated 2-sugar saponin ions; and (b) the microwave-assisted alkaline desulfation (pH 14—100 °C—5 min) reaction products with 4-sugar desulfated saponin ions and 2-sugar desulfated saponin ions.

Saponins are plant and marine animal specific metabolites that are commonly considered as molecular vectors for chemical defenses against unicellular and pluricellular organisms. Their toxicity is attributed to their membranolytic properties. Modifying the molecular structures of saponins by quantitative and selective chemical reactions is increasingly considered to tune the biological properties of these molecules (i) to prepare congeners with specific activities for biomedical applications and (ii) to afford experimental data related to their structure–activity relationship. In the present study, we focused on the sulfated saponins contained in the viscera of Holothuria scabra, a sea cucumber present in the Indian Ocean and abundantly consumed on the Asian food market.

Using mass spectrometry, we first qualitatively and quantitatively assessed the saponin content within the viscera of H. scabra. We detected 26 sulfated saponins presenting 5 different elemental compositions. Microwave activation under alkaline conditions in aqueous solutions was developed and optimized to quantitatively and specifically induce the desulfation of the natural saponins, by a specific loss of H2SO4. By comparing the hemolytic activities of the natural and desulfated extracts, we clearly identified the sulfate function as highly responsible for the saponin toxicity.

doi : 10.3390/molecules27020537