ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF STEROIDAL SAPONINS FROM ANEMARRHENA ASPHODELOIDES BUNGE.

AIM: To isolate and elucidate the chemical structures of he steroidal saponins possessing physiological activity from the fresh rhizoma of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge. (Xilingzhimu). METHODS: The constituents were isolated and purified by repeated column chromatography on silica gel. The molecular structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical evidences and spectral analysis (UV, IR, EI-MS, EIS-MS, ¹HNMR,¹³CNMR, HMBC and HMQC). RESULTS: Two steroidal saponins, xilingsaponin A and B were obtained from the fresh rhizoma of Xilingzhimu. They were elucidated as sarsasapogenin-3-O-β-Dglucopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-galactopyranoside respectively. CONCLUSION: Xilingsaponin B is a new compound.