A new lupane type triterpenic acid, pulsatillic acid, and two new lupane type triterpenoid glycosides, pulsatiUoside A and B, along with the known 23-hydroxybetulinic acid were isolated from the roots of Pulsatilla chinensis. Their structures were characterized as 3-oxo-23-hydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid, 3fl, 23-dihydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid 3-O-a-L-arabinopyranoside and 3/3, 23-dihydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid 28-0-/3-0- glucopyranosyl-(1-6)-/3-o-glucopyranoside on the basis of hydrolysis and spectral evidence including two-dimensional relay HOHAHA, one-dimensional multiple relay COSY and ROESY NMR techniques. Pulsatillic acid exhibited cytotoxic activities against P-388, Lewis lung carcinoma and human large-cell lung carcinoma.

A new lupane type triterpenic acid, pulsatillic acid, and two new lupane type triterpenoid glycosides, pulsati Uoside A and B, along with the known 23-hydroxybetulinic acid were isolated from the roots of Pulsatilla chinensis. Their structures were characterized as 3-oxo-23-hydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid, 3fl, 23-dihydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid 3-O-a-L-arabinopyranoside and 3/3, 23-dihydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid 28-0-/3-0- glucopyranosyl-(1-6)-/3-o-glucopyranoside on the basis of hydrolysis and spectral evidence including two-dimensional relay HOHAHA, one-dimensional multiple relay COSY and ROESY NMR techniques. Pulsatillic acid exhibited cytotoxic activities against P-388, Lewis lung carcinoma and human large-cell lung carcinoma.

Six oleanane-type saponins, along with two known triterpene saponins, were isolated from the leaves of Gymnema sylvestre. The structures of the oleanane triterpene glycosides were characterized as longispinogenin 3-O-b-D-glucuronopyranoside, 21b-benzoylsitakisogenin 3-O-b-D-glucuronopyranoside, 3-O-b-D-glucopyranosyl(146)-b-D-glucopyranosyl oleanolic acid 28-O-b-D- glucopyranosyl ester, oleanolic acid 3-O-b-D-xylopyranosyl(146)-b-D-glucopyranosyl(146)-b-D-glucopyranoside, 3-O-b-D- xylopyranosyl(146)-b-D-glucopyranosyl(146)-b-D-glucopyranosyl oleanolic acid 28-O-b-D-glucopyranosyl ester and 3-O-b-D- glucopyranosyl(146)-b-D-glucopyranosyl oleanolic acid 28-b-D-glucopyranosyl(146)-b-D-glucopyranosyl ester on the basis of hydrolysis and spectral evidence, including 1D- and 2D-NMR (TOCSY, ROESY, HMQC and HMBC) and FABMS analyses. 72000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Three new oleanane-type triterpene glycosides (1-3), along with the sodium salt of alternoside II (4), were isolated from an ethanol extract of the leaves of Gymnema sylvestre. The structures of these new saponins were identified as 21, -O-benzoylsitakisogenin 3-O-, -D-glucopyranosyl(1f3)-, -D-glucuronopyranoside (1), the potassium salt of longispinogenin 3-O-‚-D-glucopyranosyl(1f3)-,-D-glucuronopyranoside (2), and the potassium salt of 29-hydroxylongispinogenin 3-O-,-D-glucopyranosyl(1f3)-,-D glucuronopyranoside (3). The aglycon of 3, gymnemagenol (3a), was characterized as 3., 16‚, 28, 29-tetrahydroxyolean-12-ene. Structure elucidation was accomplished by interpretation of NMR (DQF-COSY, HMQC, and HMBC) results, FABMS, and hydrolysis. Saponin 1 and the sodium salt of alternoside II (4) exhibited antisweet activity.

The roots of several Pulsatilla species (Ranunculaceae) are used for "blood-cooling" and detoxifying effects in traditional Chinese medicine.1 A number of Pulsatilla species, such as P. ambigua, P. chinensis, P. dahurica, P. koreana, and P. turczaninovii, are employed in treating diarrhea, vaginal trichromoniasis, and bacterial infections, and pharmacological investigations have suggested that the triterpene saponins are important bioactive components. 2-6 We have previously reported on the isolation and structural elucidation of new triterpene glycosides such as pulsatillosides A and B from P. chinensis 5 and patensin from P. patens var. multifida.6 Further investigation of the latter plant has now led to the purification of additional saponin constituents. In this paper we describe the isolation of seven saponins, the structures of which were determined with the aid of 1D and 2D NMR (13C, 1H, HMQC, HMBC, and ROESY) techniques, FABMS, and hydrolysis. An extensive search of the literature 7-11 indicated thatcompounds 1-5 are new structures.