Inhibitory Effects of Steroidal Saponins on 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-Enhanced 32P-Incorporation into Phospholipids of HeLa Cells and Proliferation of Human Malignant Tumor Cells.

Certain Lilium plants contain (25S)-spirost-5-ene-3 beta,27-diol glycosides embracing 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaric acid at the C-27 hydroxy position. One of their derivatives, methyl ester of (25R)-27-O-[(S)-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl]-spirost-5-ene-3 beta,27-diol 3-O-(O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)] - beta-D-glucopyranoside) was found to inhibit 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-stimulated 32P-incorporation into the phospholipids of human cervical cancer (HeLa) cells and also to inhibit the proliferation of various kinds of human malignant tumor cells, pancreatic cancer (PANC-1), osteosarcoma (OST), human gastric cancer (HGC-27), pheochromocytoma (PC-12) and HeLa cells, in vitro.