Evaluation of in vitro antioxidant activities of soyasaponins from soy hypocotyls in human HepG2 cell line

Soyasaponins were shown to have a wide range of biological activities in previous studies; however, the activities of their monomeric compounds are unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activities of soyasaponins in HepG2 cells. Four soyasaponins were isolated from soy hypocotyls and identified as soyasaponin Aa, Ab, Ba, and Bb. The protective effects of these soyasaponins against production of hydrogen peroxide-induced reactive oxygen species in cells were investigated. The cellular antioxidant activity of soyasaponins was found to be in a dose-dependent manner at concentrations ranging between 25 and 400 μg/mL in 24 h. Finally, based on cell morphology observations, group A soyasaponins showed better cellular antioxidant activity and anti-oxidative enzyme activity than group B ones, with an optimal concentration of 100 μg/mL.