Antifungal activity was detected in the crude saponin fraction obtained from the bottom cut of Asparagus officinalis L. This activity was specific to certain fungi, for example Candida, Cryptococcus, Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton. Attempts were made to isolate the active principles from this fraction; in this way a new saponin (AS-1) was isolated, and its structure was estimated to be 3-0-[{/?-D-glucopyranosyl(l-åº2)}{)5-D-xylopyranosyl(l-åº 4)-/?-D-glucopyranosyl]-(255'),5/?spirostan-3/J-ol. The minimuminhibitory concentration (MIC) ranged from 0.5 /ig/ml to more than 8/fg/ml depending upon the nature of the fungi. On the basis of the work carried out here, it is probable that asparagus will contain additional antifungal principles.

An antifungal saponin was isolated from the bottom cut of white asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L), which is unusable in food processing. The structure of the saponin was identified as 3‐O‐[{α‐L‐rhamnopyranosyl (1→2)} {α‐L‐rhamnopyranosyl (1→4)}‐β‐D‐glucopyranosyl] (25S) spirost‐5‐ene‐3β‐ol from chemical and spectral data. This saponin was shown to be identical with collettinside III from Dioscorea collettii, and to inhibit the growth of some kinds of fungi at μg ml−1 levels.