Using an ethnomedical data approach, some Georgian plants, which are used in Georgian traditional medicine for cancer or non-cancer diseases, were collected and evaluated for cytotoxic activity. The cytotoxic effect of the methanol extracts of species from the genera Galanthus and Leucojum was evaluated in vitro on three human cell lines (Hela, ephitheloid cervix carcinoma; HCT-116, colon carcinoma; HL-60, acute myeloid leukaemia). Cell type cytotoxic specificity was observed for some extracts. Overall, the HCT-116 cells were much more sensitive to most of the extracts than were the other cell lines. Plants that showed pronounced cytotoxic activity will be further evaluated for the possible isolation of active antitumour compounds.

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We have previously reported a study of the components of P. incarnata L. [1-3]. The present paper gives the results of an investigation of the free sugars of this plant. The comminuted fresh roots (i kg) were extracted with boiling methanol (4 × 4 liters). The extract was concentrated to 0.5 liter, 0.5 liter of acetone was added, and the mixture was filtered and was left at room temperature. Crystals separated out which, after four days, were filtered off and dried. This gave 49.4 g of product (4.94% of the weight of the dry roots). By paper chromatography (PC) [butan-l-ol-acetic acid-water (4:1:5) system; chromogenic agen t aniline phthalate] it was found that it consisted of the combined free sugars, comprising four substances.

a v a s h e l i , I. I. M o n i a v o , a n d L. I. l~r i s t a v i UDC 547.972 Continuing an investigation of P a s s i f l o r a incaruata L., cultivated in Tbilisi, we have studied the substances of flavonoid nature of the leaves and flowers of this plant collected in August, 1971, in the flowering phenophase.

Allium rotundum L. (Alliaceae) is widely distributed in Georgia, is readily cultivated, and can provide an industrial base for preparing steroidal sapogenins, starting material for the synthesis of hormonal preparations.We previously isolated and characterized from flowers of A. rotundum the sapogenins diosgenin, β-chlorogenin, yuccagenin, and agigenin [1]. The goal of the present communication was to study the genin composition of the upper 10-15 cm of the flower spikes. Plant material was collected near the town of Kojori.Sapogenins were isolated by hydrolyzing saponins directly in the raw material [2]. Extracts were combined. Solvents were distilled to afford total sapogenins (7.5 g), which was 1.5% of the material (500 g).TLC of total sapogenins on Silufol plates (CHCl 3 :MeOH, 15:1) detected seven compounds that we designated in order of increasing polarity 1-7 (R f 0. 95, 0.82, 0.63, 0.48, 0.38, 0.30, and 0.12, respectively). Then total sapogenins were chromatographed preparatively over an Al 2 O 3 column with elution successively by benzene, benzene:MeOH (in various ratios), and MeOH. Crystals of genins were isolated from combined and condensed fractions containing pure compounds by filtration and recrystallization from MeOH, benzene, or acetone. The sapogenins produced this way were identified using chromatographic mobilities, physical constants, comparison of IR and NMR spectroscopy data with those of authentic samples, and literature data.Sapogenin 1, C 27 H 44 O 3 (m/z 416 [M] + ), prismatic crystals (acetone), mp 202-204°C, [α] D 20 -68.5° (c 1.0, CHCl 3 ). IR spectrum (KBr, ν, cm −1 ): 3300, 1212, 1158, 1036, 1025, 995, 961, 921, 900, 870 (intensity of 900 > 921, R-configuration of C-25). Acetate of 1, mp 206-208°C, [α] D 20 -75° (c 1.0, CHCl 3 ). The chromatographic mobility, physical constants, and IR and NMR spectral data correspond with those of tigogenin, (25R)-5α-spirostan-3β-ol [3, 4]. Compound 2, C 27 H 42 O 3 (m/z 414 [M] + ), white needlelike crystals (MeOH), mp 201-203°C, [α] D 20 -123° (c 1.0, CHCl 3 ). IR spectrum (KBr, ν, cm −1 ): 3400-3500, 1665, 1050, 988, 930, 910, 871, 790 (910 > 930, 25R-configuration). Acetate of 2, mp 196-198°C, [α] D 20 -119.0°. Comparison of the experimental physical constants and NMR spectroscopy datawith those in the literature [4-6] allowed 2 to be assigned the structure (25R)-spirost-5-en-3β-ol or diosgenin. Sapogenin 3 had chromatographic mobility on TLC that coincided with that of authentic (25R)-5-spirostan-3β-ol-12-one or heckogenin. Judging from the nature of the spot, it was present in a very small amount. During further preparative chromatography, traces of it were lost. Because 3 could not be isolated pure, we could not unambiguously confirm that it was heckogenin due to a lack of information.Compound 4, C 27 H 44 O 4 (m/z 432 [M] + ), white needlelike crystals (MeOH), mp 266-268°C, [α] D 20 -73° (c 0.8, CHCl 3 ). IR spectrum (KBr, ν, cm −1 ): 3430, 1060, 1038, 968, 940, 916, 900, 866 (900 > 916, 25R-configuration of C-25). Acetylation by acetic anh...