STUDY ON ISOLATION AND STRUCTURE ELUCIDATION OF STEROIDAL SAPONINS FROM THE LEAVES OF DRACAENA FRAGRANS (L.) KER GAWL.

Abstract

Dracaena fragrans (L.) Ker Gawl., belongs to the Dracaena genus, thus the Asparagaceae family, is distributed mainly in Southeast Asia, West Africa and Viet Nam and planted for ornamental purpose. In this study, two known steroidal saponins were isolated from the leaves of D. fragrans (L.) Ker Gawl. using various chromatographical techniques. The structure of these compounds was elucidated as 26-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-22-methoxy-furost-(25)27-ene-1β,3β,26-triol 1-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-L-arabinopyranoside (1), and (23S,24S)-3β,23-dihydroxy-1β-[O-(2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl)oxy]-spirosta-5,25(27)-dien-24-yl-β-D-fucopyranoside (2). These compounds have been isolated previously in species of the genus Dracaena, thus the family Asparagaceae. Further experiments should be done in order to achieve a biological overview and establish the relationship between structure and activity of these compounds.