The genus Barbarea has emerged as a model for evolution and ecology of plant defense compounds, due to its unusual glucosinolate profile and production of saponins, unique to the Brassicaceae. One species, B. vulgaris, includes two 'types', G-type and P-type that differ in trichome density, and their glucosinolate and saponin profiles. A key difference is the stereochemistry of hydroxylation of...

Chlorophytum borivilianum is commonly known as safed musli and is sold all over the world for its medicinal values. Tubers of this plant are used to cure reproductive disorders and studies indicate that saponins are the main compounds that are responsible for its therapeutic values. In the present investigation, saponin content and type of saponins in the tubers (without peels), peels of tubers...

Recently the number of studies investigating triterpenoid saponins has drastically increased due to their diverse and potentially attractive biological activities. Currently the literature contains chemical structures of few hundreds of triterpenoid saponins of plant and animal origin. Triterpenoid saponins consist of a triterpene aglycone with one or more sugar moieties attached to it. However...

The presence of saponins and the molluscicidal activity of the roots, leaves, seeds and fruits of Swartzia langsdorffii Raddi (Leguminosae) against Biomphalaria glabrata adults and eggs were investigated. The roots, seeds and fruits were macerated in 95% ethanol. These extracts exerted a significant molluscicidal activity against B. glabrata, up to a dilution of 100 mg/l. Four mixtures (A2, B2,...

Two minor novel dammarane-type saponins - 5,6-didehydroginsenoside Rd (1) and 5,6-didehydroginsenoside Rb1 (2) - were isolated from the dried roots of Panax notoginseng along with sixteen known saponins. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical methods.

Phytochemical analysis of A. balsamea oleoresin led to the isolation of three new 3,4-seco-lanostane triterpenoids 1-3, one new cycloartane triterpenoid 4 along with fourteen known terpenoids. Structure determinations were based on extensive 1D/2D NMR, IR and MS spectroscopic analyses, and comparison with literature data. The isolated compounds were evaluated in vitro for their cytotoxicity aga...

dental caries, periodontitis and other mucosal diseases are caused by a complex community of microorganisms. this study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial properties of saponins of four important oil yielding medicinal plant extracts on selected oral pathogens that are involved in such diseases.saponins were extracted from bauhinia purpurea, madhuca longifolia, celastrus paniculatus and sem...

Two new cycloartane glycosides, named aquilegiosides K and L, have been isolated from the dried underground parts of Aquilegia vulgaris. Their structures were determined by two dimensional (2D) NMR spectroscopic analysis and chemical evidence.