Fitoterapia. 2001 Dec; 72(8): 894-905.

Cycloartane saponins from Astragalus peregrinus as modulators of lymphocyte proliferation.

Verotta L, Guerrini M, El-Sebakhy NA, Asaad AM, Toaima SM, Abou-Sheer ME, Luo YD, Pezzuto JM.

Dipartimento di Chimica Organica e Industriale, UniversitÃ degli Studi di Milano, via Venezian 21, 20133 Milano, Italy. luisella.verotta@unimi.it

From Astragalus peregrinus, four cycloartane-type saponins have been isolated and their structures elucidated by spectral means as 20(R),24(S)-epoxy-9 beta,19-cyclolanostane-3 beta,6 alpha,16 beta,25-tetrol 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1), 20(R),24(S)-epoxy-9 beta,19-cyclolanostane-3 beta,6 alpha,16 beta,25-tetrol 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), 20(R),24(S)-epoxy-9 beta,19-cyclolanostane-3 beta,6 alpha,16 beta,25-tetrol 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3) and 20(R),25-epoxy-9 beta,19-cyclolanostane-3 beta,6 alpha,16 beta,24(S)-tetrol (24-O-acetyl)- 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-(6'-O-acetyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4). Compounds 2 and 3 showed to stimulate the proliferation of mouse splenocytes and were not significantly cytotoxic.