Antiproliferative Triterpene Saponins from Entada africana

• Published in: Journal of natural products (Washington, D.C.) D.C.), 2006-09, Vol.69 (9), p.1323-1329
• Main Authors: Cioffi, Giuseppina, Dal Piaz, Fabrizio, De Caprariis, Paolo, Sanogo, Rokia, Marzocco, Stefania, Autore, Giuseppina, De Tommasi, Nunziatina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acacic acid; Animals; anticarcinogenic activity; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - chemistry; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - isolation & purification; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - pharmacology; arabinopyranose; Biological and medical sciences; chemical structure; cultured cells; cytotoxicity; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; echinocystic acid; Entada; Entada africana; esters; Fabaceae; Fabaceae - chemistry; General pharmacology; glucopyranose; glycosidic linkages; Humans; Macrophages - drug effects; Mali; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; Mice; Mimosoideae; Molecular Structure; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Roots - chemistry; Plants, Medicinal - chemistry; Saponins - chemistry; Saponins - isolation & purification; Saponins - pharmacology; spectral analysis; Triterpenes - chemistry; Triterpenes - isolation & purification; Triterpenes - pharmacology; triterpenoid saponins; xylopyranose
• ISSN: 0163-3864; 1520-6025
• DOI: 10.1021/np060257w

Nine new ester saponins (1−9) were isolated from the roots of Entada africana. Their structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR experiments including 1D and 2D TOCSY, DQF-COSY, HSQC, and HMBC spectroscopy, as well as ESIMS analysis, and chemical methods. The aglycon moieties were found to be echinocystic acid for compounds 1, 2, 4−6, 8, and 9 and acacic acid for 3 and 7. All isolated compounds were tested for their antiproliferative activity against the J774.A1, HEK-293, and WEHI-164 cell lines. Moderate to high cytotoxic potency was found for almost all compounds tested.