Effect of Some Triterpene Glycosides Applied in vitro on Chromatin State in Human Cells

The effect of triterpene glycosides - monoammonium salt of glycyrrhizinic acid (monoammonium glycyrrhizinate) and of alpha-hederin and hederacoside C from ivy (Hedera L.) on chromatin condensation in human buccal epithelium cells was investigated. Heterochromatin granules in cell nuclei were stained with 2% orcein. The state of chromatin was assessed by heterochromatin granules quantity - HGQ at magnification x 600. The number of granules was assessed in 30 nuclei and the mean HGQ value was calculated. Each experiment was done in triplex. In experiments were used cells of 4 donors. Cells were placed in solutions of glycosides in concentrations of 5, 25, and 50 mg/l for 2 hours. Statistical analysis was performed by the Student’s method. The monoammonium glycyrrhizinate was tested in cells of one donor and induced HGQ increase in a concentration of 50 mg/l. The alpha-hederin in a concentration of 25 mg/l caused a significant increase of HGQ in cells of all four donors. Hederacoside C in concentrations 5 and 25 mg/l induced increase of HGQ in cells of three donors of four. Cells of one donor were resistant to hederacoside C. By computation analysis it was shown that triterpene glycosides have low genotoxic activity. The HGQ determination enables to register individual peculiarities in cell response to biologically active compounds which may be used in personalized medicine.