According to an announcement, the Department of Molecular Genetics, Function & Therapy, with participants Dr. Melina Christou and Dr. Andri Koutsolioudou, and the Department of Neurogenetics, with Dr. Antonis Ververis and Professor Kyproula Christodoulou, from the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (CING), participated in research for the chemical characterization and investigation of the biological properties of extracts from the plant Soapwort.

The research was coordinated by the Department of Pharmacy of Frederick University, led by Dr. Despina Charalambous and Dr. Maria Pantelidou. Other contributors included Michalis Christoforou, Krystallou Christou, and Dr. Marios Andreou from Frederick University, and Christoforos Papachrysostomou from the State General Laboratory.

The research findings were published in “Plants”, with an impact factor of 4, under the title "Saponin and Phenolic Composition and Assessment of Biological Activities of Saponaria officinalis L. Root Extracts".

The publication can be accessed here.

In summary, the publication presents the main saponins and phenolic compounds found in three different extracts of soapwort, specifically the methanolic, ethanolic, and acetonic extracts.

The plant material used to produce the extracts was sourced exclusively from the roots of plants cultivated in Cyprus in the botanical gardens of the Department of Forests, as stated in the report.

All of the extracts were found to possess significant antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Additionally, the research showed that the acetonic extract exhibits selective cytotoxic activity against A375 cells (human melanoma cells), causing a significant reduction in the viability of cancer cells while showing minimal effect on the non-cancerous HaCaT cell line.

In conclusion, this research suggests soapwort as a therapeutic herb, in agreement with previous findings that have shown the Saponaria genus to be an excellent source of biologically active compounds with beneficial properties for humans.