Triterpene saponins from Billia rosea

Chemical constituents from the Saposhnikovia divaricata and their antiproliferative activity

Nine compounds were isolated and identified from ethanolic extracts of Saposhnikovia divaricata, including one new alkaloid (1), one new pentacyclic triterpenoid (9), and seven known alkaloids (2-8). Structural elucidation of compounds 1 and 9 was established by 1D and 2D NMR spectra referring to the literature, together with high-resolution mass spectrometric analysis. All compounds were evaluated for antiproliferative activity against two cancer cell lines (LN229, A549) in vitro. Compounds (1-9) showed no significant antiproliferative activity.

Triterpenoid saponins and others glycosides from the stem barks of Pancovia turbinata Radlk

In our continuing search of saponins from the plant of Sapindaceae family, phytochemical investigation of the stem barks of Pancovia turbinata Radlk., led to the isolation and structural characterization of two new triterpenoid saponins, named turbinatosides A-B (1-2), one new farnesyl glycoside, named turbinoside A (3), one new coumarin glucoside, named panturboside A (4), together with a known saponin (5). The structures of the new compounds were established, using extensive analysis of NMR techniques, mainly 1D NMR (¹H, ¹³C, and DEPT) and 2D NMR (COSY, NOESY, HSQC, HSQC-TOCSY and HMBC) experiments, HRESIMS and by comparison with the literature data, as 3-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-α-l-arabinopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-l-arabinopyranosylhederagenin 28-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl ester (1), 3-O-α-l-arabinopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-l-arabinopyranosylhederagenin 28-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-d-glucopyranosyl ester (2), 1-O-{β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 6)]-β-d-glucopyranosyl}-(2E,6E)-farnes-1,12-diol (3), and 5-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-5,6,7-trihydroxy-8-methoxycoumarin (4), respectively. Our findings highlight the presence of -³Rha-²Ara-³hederagenin oligosaccharidic sequence usually described in saponins from Sapindoideae subfamily of Sapindaceae family, as well as farnesol glycosides, and represent therefore a valuable contribution to the chemotaxonomy of the Sapindoideae subfamily.

Triterpene glycosides from Silene odontopetala

Silene species are known for their use in traditional medicine in treating several diseases. To the authors' knowledge there is no report on the chemical composition of S. odontopetala. Therefore, the phytochemical investigation of the methanol extract of S. odontopetala was carried out, leading to the isolation of six undescribed oleanane-type glycosides along with the known saponin azukisaponin IV. Their structures were elucidated by the analysis of 1D and 2D-NMR experiments, along with mass spectrometry analysis. The cytotoxic activity of oleanane-type saponins was evaluated against a small panel of cancer cell lines, including PC-3 (prostate carcinoma cells), MCF-7 (breast cancer cells), A549 (alveolar basal carcinoma cells), and HeLa (cervical carcinoma cells). Furthermore, the activity of isolated compounds against a normal cell line HEK-293, used for assessing their cytotoxicity, was evaluated.