Description
Asperosaponin VI is a triterpene saponin found in the Dipsacus asper plant. Asperosaponin VI displays cardioprotective and antioxidative activities. In animal models, this compound protects the heart from ischemic injury by decreasing levels of lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, glutamic oxalacetic transaminase, and cardiac troponin T, and increasing levels of radical scavenging enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. Asperosaponin VI also inhibits apoptosis in hypoxic cardiac myocytes, increasing the Bcl-2/Bax ratio and decreasing caspase-3 expression. In an animal model of cardiac fibrosis, this compound improves left ventricle systolic pressure and left ventricle end-diastolic pressure by decreasing expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α.