Escin and glucocorticoid activity: a new mechanism for an old drug

Within the bioactive components found in the plant kingdom, saponins have been widely applied in clinical practice due to their wide range of biochemical and pharmacological activities. They can be divided into (i) steroidal glycosides and (ii) triterpenoids, which are mainly found in monocotyledons and dicotyledons, respectively. Escin is a naturally occurring mixture of triterpene saponins extracted from both the seeds and the seed shell of Aesculus hippocastanum (dicotyledons) and consists mainly of several isoforms, in which α- and β-escin predominate. β-escin is the main active compound that exerts a therapeutic effect by relie...