Interaction of Saponins extracted from Tribulus terrestris with Human Serum Albumin

Abstract

<strong>Background & Aim:</strong>Saponins are well-known secondary metabolites with numerous beneficial pharmacological properties. Since the interactions of drugs with blood constituents, in particular with human serum albumin (HSA) may have a major impact on drug pharmacology, the present study designed to provide a fundamental understanding of the interaction of saponins extracted from <em>Tribulus</em> <em>terrestris</em> (typically utilized in folk medicine) with HSA in detail.<br /> <strong>Experimental: </strong>After extraction and purification of saponins; UV-Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and far-UV CD spectroscopy were used to examine the effects of saponins from <em>Tribulus terrestris </em>on HSA.<br /> <strong>Results:</strong> Thin-Layer chromatography confirmed the presence of 3 different saponins. The UV-Vis absorption, fluorescence emission and far-UV CD results displayed that saponinsfrom<em> Tribulus terrestris</em> could form a complex with HSA. The binding constant for the saponins–HSA complex was found to be 13.4×10⁴M^-1. The distance r between HSA and <em>Tribulus terrestris </em>saponins was also acquired according to the Förster theory.<br /> <strong>Recommended applications/industries:</strong> Altogether, saponins can bind to HSA and change the secondary and tertiary structure of HSA moderately. The results obtained from this study can help in understanding the pharmacokinetic properties of saponins.