Six new furostanol glycosides from Smilax glauco-china and their cytotoxic activity

Abstract

Six new steroidal saponins, namely glauco-chinaosides A–F, and one known compound were isolated from the tubers of Smilax glauco-china. Their structures were elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic analysis and hydrolysis followed by spectral and chromatographic analysis. Compounds 1–7 were tested in vitro for their cytotoxic activities against four human tumor cell lines (SH-SY5Y, SGC-7901, HCT-116, and Lovo). Compounds 1, 2, and 5 exhibited cytotoxic activity against SGC-7901, with IC₅₀ values of 2.7, 11.5, and 6.8 μM, respectively.

Keywords:

• Smilax glauco-china
• Smilacaceae
• furostanol glycosides
• cytotoxic activity

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (Nos. 31370376 and 81360628) and the Science and Technology Projects of Jiangxi Province (No. 20151BBG70141).