Antinociceptive activity of Quillaja saponaria Mol. saponin extract, quillaic acid and derivatives in mice

  • J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Jan 7;133(1):164-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.09.016.
Sylvia Arrau  1 ,  Carla Delporte ,  Carlos Cartagena ,  Maité Rodríguez-Díaz ,  Patricia González ,  Ximena Silva ,  Bruce K Cassels ,  Hugo F Miranda
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Pharmacological and Toxicological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
PMID: 20951193 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.09.016
Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Quillaja saponaria bark contains a high percentage of triterpene saponins and has been used for centuries as a cleansing and analgesic agent in Chilean folk medicine.

Aim of the study: The topical and systemic analgesic effects of a commercial partially purified saponin extract, 3β,16α-dihydroxy-23-oxoolean-12-en-28-oic acid (quillaic acid), methyl 3β,16α-dihydroxy-23-oxoolean-12-en-28-oate and methyl 4-nor-3,16-dioxoolean-12-en-28-oate.

Materials and methods: The samples were assessed in mice using the topical tail-flick and i.p. hot-plate tests, respectively.

Results: All the samples showed activity in both analgesic tests in a dose-dependent manner. The most active against tail flick test was commercial partially purified saponin extract (EC50 27.9 mg%, w/v) and more than the ibuprofen sodium. On hot-plate test, methyl 4-nor-3, 16-dioxoolean-12-en-28-oate was the most active (ED50 12.2 mg/kg) and more than the ibuprofen sodium.

Conclusions: The results of the present study demonstrated that Quillaja saponaria saponins, quillaic acid, its methyl ester, and one of the oxidized derivatives of the latter, elicit dose-dependent antinociceptive effects in two murine thermal models.

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