A comparative study in vitro of physiological activity of triterpene glycosides of marine invertebrates of echinoderm type.

1. The cytostatic and antimicrobial activity of triterpene glycosides of 19 holothurian species of the Pacific tropical zone has been studied. 2. It has been demonstrated that yeast and tumor cells display a comparable sensibility to the action of triterpene oligosides of sea cucumbers. 3. Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria are not sensible to the action of glycosides in doses to 500 mkg/ml. 4. Triterpene glycosides-stichoposides, thelothurins and oligosides of Holothuria of genus Bohadschia are the most active in relation to fungal, yeast microflora and tumor cells.

[Antimicrobial action spectrum of triterpene and steroid glycosides]. / Izuchenie amtimikrobnogo spektra deistviia nekotorykh triterpenovykh i steroidnykh glikozidov.

Antimicrobial activity of 9 triterpene glycosides of the plant and animal origin was studied. It was found that saponins inhibited the fungal growth to different extents and had no activity against grampositive and gramnegative bacteria. Triterpene glycosides of the animal origin, i.e. holoturins A and B, stichoposids A and C had the most pronounced antifungal activity as compared to the saponins isolated from plants. Changes in the length of the carbon chain from 2 to 6 monosugars had no significant effect on the activity of the triterpeneglycosides studied.

[Effect of triterpene glycosides on RNA biosynthesis in a yeast cell culture of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis]. / Vliianie nekotorykh triterpenovykh glikozidov na biosintez RNK v kul'ture drozhzhevykh kletok Saccharomyces carlsbergensis.

The effect of triterpen glycosides of cauloside C from Caulophyllum robustum, theasaponine from Thea sinensis ahd stichoposide A from Stichopus japonicus on multiplication and biosynthesis of RNA in the cells of a 7-hour culture of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis was studied. It was shown that cauloside C, theasaponine and stichoposide A in concentrations of 7.5 gamma/ml inhibited multiplication of the yeast cells by 65, 10 and 90 per cent respectively. The summation RNA of the yeast cells is divided into 3 zones on Sephadex G-100. The glycosides induced no pronounced changes in the chromotographic profile of RNA. Biosynthesis of the transport and ribosomal RNA were inhibited to the same extent. Triterpen glycosides inhibited the biosynthesis of RNA at the stage of 14C-uridine in corporation into the nucleotide pool of the yeast cells.

[Change in the content and biosynthesis of RNA in the process of development of a Saccharomyces carlsbergensis culture]. / Izmenenie soderzhaniia i biosinteza RNK v protsesse razvitiia kul'tury Saccharomyces carlsbergensis

The concentration of RNA in the cells of Saccharamyces carlsbergensis was found to vary from 3.51 to 7.54% with aging. A high content of RNA, a high rate of the incorporation of 14C-uridine into RNA and the acid-soluble fraction are typical of the cells in the logarithmic phase of growth. The total RNA can be separated into three zones on Sephadex G-100. No changes in the chromatographic profile were detected with aging.