No abstract

Two major triterpenoid saponins, named saponariosides A and B, were isolated from the whole plants of Saponaria officinalis and were respectively defined to be 3-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-be ta-D-glucuronopyranosyl quillaic acid 28-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->3)-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->4)-alpha- L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->3)-beta-D-4-O-ac etylquinovopyranosyl-(1-->4)]-beta-D-fucopyranoside (1); 3-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-be ta-D-glucuronopyranosyl quillaic acid 28-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->3)-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->4)-alpha- L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[beta-D-4-O-acetylquinovopyranosyl-(1-->4)] -beta-D-fucopyranoside (2). Their structures were established on the basis of extensive NMR (DEPT, DQF-COSY, HOHAHA, HETCOR, HMBC, and NOESY) and MS studies as well as chemical degradation.

The n-hexane soluble and the nonsaponifiable lipid fractions of the edible flower extract of chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) were investigated for triterpene diol and triol constituents. These triterpenes occur as the 3-O-fatty acid esters in the n-hexane soluble fraction from which 26 new and 6 known fatty acid esters were isolated and characterized. From the nonsaponifiable lipid fraction, 24 triterpene diols and triols were isolated, of which 3 were new compounds: (24S)-25-methoxycycloartane-3beta,24-diol (11), (24S)-25-methoxycycloartane-3beta,24,28-triol (22), and 22alpha-methoxyfaradiol (23). Faradiol (9) and heliantriol C (19), present in the nonsaponifiable lipid fraction and as the 3-O-palmitoyl esters in the n-hexane soluble fraction, were the most predominant triterpene diol and triol constituents. Fourteen triterpene diols and triols and 9 fatty acid esters were evaluated with respect to their anti-inflammatory activity against 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced inflammation in mice. All of the triterpenes examined showed marked inhibitory activity, with a 50% inhibitory dose (ID50) of 0.03-1.0 mg/ear, which was more inhibitive than quercetin (ID50 = 1.6 mg/ear), a known inhibitor of TPA-induced inflammation in mice.