Triterpene Saponins from Pleurospermum kamtschaticum and Their Biological Activity

Eleven new triterpene saponins (1–11), together with fourteen known triterpene and triterpene saponins (12–25) were isolated from a MeOH extract of Pleurospermum kamtschaticum HOFFMANN (Umbelliferae). The chemical structures of the new compounds (1–11) were determined by means of MS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, correlated spectroscopy (COSY), heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC), total correlated spectros-copy (TOCSY) and nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) to be pleurosaponin A (1)–K (11). The isolated compounds were tested for their cytotoxicity against four human tumor cell lines (A549, SK-OV-3, SK-MEL-2, HCT15) in vitro using the sulforhodamine B bioassay (SRB) assay. All compounds showed little cytotoxicity against tested cell lines (IC50>30 µM). Key words Pleurospermum kamtschaticum; Umbelliferae; triterpene saponin; cytotoxicity Pleurospermum kamtschaticum HOFFMANN is a perennial herb that grows in the fields and mountains of Asian coun-tries. The aerial parts of P. kamtschaticum have been used as Korean traditional medicine for the treatment of arthritis, atherosclerosis and impotence.1) Recent studies have demon-strated that the methanol extract of P. kamtschaticum and its