Steroidal saponins from two species of dracaena

Four new steroidal saponins (1-4) were isolated from the stem and bark of two species of Dracaena: deistelianosides A and B (1 and 2) from D. deisteliana and arboreasaponins A and B (3 and 4) from D. arborea. Six known saponins and one known sapogenin were also isolated. The structures of 1-4 were established as diosgenin 3-O-[3-O-sulfate-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4)]-β-d- glucopyranoside (1), 1-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→2)-[α-l- rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)]-β-d-fucopyranosyl(23S,24S)-spirosta-5,25(27) -diene-1β,3β,23α,24α-tetrol 24-O-α-l- arabinopyranoside (2), pennogenin-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)- [α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)]-[6-O-acetyl]-β-d-glucopyranoside (3), and 24α-hydroxypennogenin 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)- [α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)]-β-d-glucopyranoside (4) using extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses and mass spectrometry. Cytotoxic activity of several of these compounds was evaluated against the HT-29 and HCT 116 human colon cancer cell lines.