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

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2022-01, Vol.27 (2), p.537
• Main Authors: Savarino, Philippe, Colson, Emmanuel, Caulier, Guillaume, Eeckhaut, Igor, Flammang, Patrick, Gerbaux, Pascal
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alkalies - chemistry; Animals; Aqueous solutions; Biocompatibility; Biological properties; Biomedical materials; Cattle; Chemical defense; Chemical reactions; Chromatography; Chromatography, Liquid; Congeners; desulfation; Experiments; Hemolysis - drug effects; Hemolytic Agents - analysis; Hemolytic Agents - chemistry; Hemolytic Agents - isolation & purification; Hemolytic Agents - pharmacology; Holothuria - chemistry; Holothuria scabra; Hydrolysis; Indian Ocean; Marine animals; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Metabolites; microwave activation; Microwaves; Molecular structure; Saponins; Saponins - analysis; Saponins - chemistry; Saponins - isolation & purification; Saponins - pharmacology; Scientific imaging; sea cucumbers; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Structure-Activity Relationship; Sulfates - analysis; Sulfates - chemistry; Sulfates - isolation & purification; Sulfates - pharmacology; Sulfuric acid; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Toxicity; triterpene glycosides; Viscera; Viscera - chemistry
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules27020537

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 , 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 . 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 H SO . By comparing the hemolytic activities of the natural and desulfated extracts, we clearly identified the sulfate function as highly responsible for the saponin toxicity.