TRITERPENIC SAPONINS FROM THE CROCUS SATIVUS CORM AS AN ADJUVANT IN PROTEIN VACCINE FORMULATIONS

摘要

The present invention relates to novel triterpenic saponins from the saffron (Crocus sativus L.) corm, a composition that comprises said saponins, the use thereof as adjuvant substances in protein vaccines, and also in the production of drugs, preferably for treating cancer and, more preferably, for treating cervical carcinoma, and to a method for obtaining said saponins. The use of these triterpenic saponins as vaccine adjuvants gives rise to an enhanced, functional and long-lasting immune response to the antigen, which is greater than that of other substances with immunopotentiating capacity, such as aluminium salts, IFA (Incomplete Freund's Incomplete Adjuvant), CpG (short cytosine, phosphate and guanine bacterial DNA sequences) and even other saponins such as QuilA, without the side effects that are customarily observed when these other adjuvants are administered.