Three new triterpenoid saponins from the leaves and stems of Panax quinquefolium

Abstract

Three new minor dammarane saponins, quinquenosides L10 (1), L14 (2), and L16 (3), were isolated from the leaves and stems of Panax quinquefolium L. By the combination of one- and two-dimensional NMR techniques and MS spectroscopic analysis, their structures were established as 20-O-(α-l-arabinopyranosyl-(1-6)-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-dammar-24-ene-3,12, 20-triol (1), 20-O-α-l-arabinopyranosyl-3-O-(β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-2)-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-dammar-24-ene-3,12,20-triol (2), 3-O-(β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-2)-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-20-O-(β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-6)-β-d-glucopyranosyl)-dammarane-3,12,20,24,25-pentaol (3). The content of artemisinin was significantly enhanced by 3.0 mg l^− 1 of compounds 1, 2, and 3 in the callus of Artemisia annua.

Keywords:

• Panax quinquefolium L.
• leaves and stems
• quinquenoside L10
• quinquenoside L14
• quinquenoside L16

Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University of China (No. NCET-04-0289). We are grateful to Prof. Tiande Qing for identification of the plant material. Thanks also for Dalian Tianma Pharmacy Co., Ltd.