Saponins from Cussonia bancoensis and their inhibitory effects on nitric oxide production

• Published in: Journal of natural products (Washington, D.C.) D.C.), 2003-09, Vol.66 (9), p.1266-1269
• Main Authors: Tapondjou, L.A, Lontsi, D, Sondengam, B.L, Shaheen, F, Choudhary, M.I, Atta-ur-Rahman, Heerden, F.R. van, Park, H.J, Lee, K.T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 23-hydroxyursolic acid; Animals; Araliaceae; Araliaceae - chemistry; bark; Biological and medical sciences; biosynthesis; Cameroon; carbon; cell lines; Cells, Cultured - drug effects; chemical structure; Cussonia; Cussonia bancoensis; General pharmacology; macrophages; Macrophages - drug effects; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; Mice; Molecular Structure; nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - antagonists & inhibitors; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; phytochemicals; Plant Bark - chemistry; plant extracts; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Plants, Medicinal - chemistry; protons; Saponins - chemistry; Saponins - isolation & purification; Saponins - pharmacology; spectral analysis; stems; Stereoisomerism; Triterpenes - chemistry; Triterpenes - isolation & purification; Triterpenes - pharmacology; triterpenoid saponins; ursolic acid
• ISSN: 0163-3864; 1520-6025
• DOI: 10.1021/np020412g

Two new triterpenoid saponins (1 and 2) were isolated from the stem bark of Cussonia bancoensis together with the known stigmasterol, ursolic acid, 23-hydroxyursolic acid (3), and 3beta-hydroxylup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid. On the basis of their spectroscopic data and on chemical transformations, the structures of the new saponins have been established as 3-O-(alpha-Ll-arabinopyranosyl)-23-hydroxyursolic acid (1) and 3-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-23-hydroxyursolic acid (2). In a nitric oxide (NO)-production bioassay, compound 3 exhibited significant NO inhibitory activity, while compounds 1 and 2 were less potent than 3.