Cytotoxicity of Quillaja saponaria Saponins towards Lung Cells Is Higher for Cholesterol-Rich Cells

The purpose of the study was to compare cytotoxicity two Quillaja saponaria bark saponin (QBS) mixtures against lung cell lines: normal MRC-5 fibroblast line and tumor A-549 epithelial cells lungs’ alveoli. study, performed both at a macro-scale in dedicated microfluidic device, showed that QBS more toxic abundant cholesterol (MRC-5). mixture with higher fraction found be cytotoxic towards lines. results may help better understand saponin-rich herbal medicines depending on their content.