Publications by authors named "Joan Candice Ondevilla"
Saponin is the main bioactive component of the Dioscorea species, which are traditionally used for treating chronic diseases. An understanding of the interaction process of bioactive saponins with biomembranes provides insights into their development as therapeutic agents. The biological effects of saponins have been thought to be associated with membrane cholesterol (Chol).
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- Diosgenin (DGN) is a plant-derived sterol similar to cholesterol, gaining attention for its pharmacological effects.
- The study found that both DGN and cholesterol can similarly affect lipid bilayer membranes, reducing phase transition enthalpy and orienting themselves parallel to the membrane normal.
- However, DGN at 30 mol% changes the interactions of lipid headgroups differently than cholesterol, indicating that while it behaves like cholesterol at lower concentrations, it starts to alter membrane properties significantly at higher levels.