Antioxidant and Quinone Reductase Activity of Soyasaponins in Hepa1c1c7 Mouse Hepatocarcinoma Cells

Saponins have been reported to possess several health beneficial activities including hypocholesterolemic, immune-stimulatory, and anticarcinogenic. The objectives of this study were to determine if soysaponins are radical scavengers and inducers of quinone reductase (QR) activity in Hepa1c1c7 murine hepatoma cell line. The antioxidant capacity of soyasaponin was evaluated using the 1,1′-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging methods. Soyasaponin showed 75.7% radical scavenging activity in the DPPH assay and 81.4% in the ABTS method at 100 μg/mL concentration. Cellular proliferation was determined using the methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide colorimetric assay. Soyasaponin inhibited cell growth in a dose-dependent (0.1~100 μg/mL) manner, and growth inhibition was 30% and 39% at 100 μg/mL of saponin after 24 h and 48 h incubation, respectively. Soyasaponin showed QR induction in a dose-dependent manner. Ten, 50, and 100 μg/mL of soyasaponin resulted in a 1.6-, 2.2-, and 2.9-fold induction of QR, respectively. These results provide a basis for the potential of soysaponin as a chemopreventive agent.