Four new dammarane-type triterpene saponins from the stems and leaves of Panax ginseng and their cytotoxicity on HL-60 cells.

ABSTRACT

Four new triterpene saponins, ginsenosides Rh(14)-Rh(17)(1- 4), along with two known compounds, 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg2 and dammar-(E)-20(22),24-diene-3 ß,6 α,12 ß-triol, were isolated from the stems and leaves of Panax ginseng. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated as 3 ß,6 α,12 ß,24 ξ-tetrahydroxy-dammar-(E)-20(22),25-diene 6- O- α- L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)- ß-D-glucopyranoside (1), 3 ß,12 ß,24 ξ-trihydroxy-dammar-(E)-20(22),25-diene 3- O- ß- D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)- ß-D-glucopyranoside (2), 3 ß,6 α,12 ß-trihydroxy-dammar-(E)-20(22),24-diene 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (3), and 3-oxo-6 α,12 ß,20(S)-trihydroxy-dammar-24-ene 6-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (4) by means of extensive spectroscopic and chemical methods, respectively. The isolated compounds were tested for IN VITRO cytotoxicity against HL-60 cells.