STUDY ON ISOLATION OF TRITERPENOID SAPONINS FROM THE LEAVES OF WEIGELA FLORIDA “PINK POPPET”

Abstract

The Weigela florida “Pink Poppet” is a shrub distributed widely in Europe and other regions in the world. This plant has been grown for comfort and ornamental purposes. It belongs to the genus Weigela, the family Caprifoliaceae known for the sources of saponins. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a phytochemical study on the cultivar W. florida “Pink Poppet”. The research on the leaves of this plant resulted in the isolation and purification of three triterpenoid saponins, which have structural determinations as 3-O-a-L-arabinopyranosylhederagenin 28-O-b-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→6)-[a-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)]-b-D-glucopyranosyl ester (1), 3-O-a-L-arabinopyranosylhederagenin 28-O-b-D-glucopyranosyl-
(1→6)-[a-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)]-b-D-glucopyranosyl ester (2), and 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-L-arabinopyranosylhederagenin 28-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→6)]-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (3). Additionally, in this study, the relationship between the chemical structure and biological activities of the saponins was discussed, which is fundamental for evaluating the biological activities of these compounds in the future.