Abstract :
[en] Saponins are plant secondary metabolites. There are associated with defensive roles due
to their cytotoxicity and are active against microorganisms. Saponins are frequently targeted to
develop efficient drugs. Plant biomass containing saponins deserves sustained interest to develop
high-added value applications. A key issue when considering the use of saponins for human
healthcare is their toxicity that must be modulated before envisaging any biomedical application.
This can only go through understanding the saponin-membrane interactions. Quinoa is abundantly
consumed worldwide, but the quinoa husk is discarded due to its astringent taste associated with its
saponin content. Here, we focus on the saponins of the quinoa husk extract (QE). We qualitatively
and quantitively characterized the QE saponins using mass spectrometry. They are bidesmosidic
molecules, with two oligosaccharidic chains appended on the aglycone with two different linkages;
a glycosidic bond and an ester function. The latter can be hydrolyzed to prepare monodesmosidic
molecules. The microwave-assisted hydrolysis reaction was optimized to produce monodesmosidic
saponins. The membranolytic activity of the saponins was assayed based on their hemolytic activity
that was shown to be drastically increased upon hydrolysis. In silico investigations confirmed that
the monodesmosidic saponins interact preferentially with a model phospholipid bilayer, explaining
the measured increased hemolytic activity.
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