Morphological evaluation and quantification of caspases in lung cancer cells treated with a hederagenin-rich extract of Chenopodium quinoa Willd.

Abstract

This study evaluated the influence of an extract rich in hederagenin obtained from Chenopodium Quinoa Willd. on cell morphology and caspase gene response in the A549 lung cancer cell line. Quinoa is notable for its high content of secondary metabolites with biological activity, with triterpene saponins being the most prominent and relevant in the field of oncology. In order to release the aglycones of interest, an initial extraction was performed with ethanol:water (1:1) followed by fractionation with n-butanol and controlled acid hydrolysis (pH 1, 80°C), purifying the final product with ethyl acetate. Quantification by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) confirmed the presence of hederagenin at a concentration of 92.1 mg/L in the extract. Biological activity was determined using the MTT cell viability assay and analysis of morphological changes by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Finally, quantification by RT-qPCR revealed that there was no significant relative overexpression of caspase 3 or 7 levels, and the results of morphological analysis show that A549 cells treated with the extract generated autophagic vacuoles. These results demonstrate that the hederagenin-rich extract, under the experimental conditions evaluated, exerts its cytotoxic effect through cell death mechanisms independent of caspase activation.