Steroidal saponins from Asparagus dumosus

A new steroidal saponin, dumoside, characterized as (20S)-3 beta,16 beta-dihydroxy pregn-5-ene-22-carboxylic acid (22,16)-lactone-3-O-beta-chacotrioside, was isolated from the whole plant of Asparagus dumosus Baker and the structure was deduced from spectral data. In addition to dumoside three more steroidal saponins characterized as 3 beta-dihydroxy pregn-5,16-dien-20-one 3-O-beta-chacotrioside, 3 beta,22 alpha,26-trihydroxyfurost-5-ene-3-O-beta-chacotrioside-26-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside and its corresponding 22 alpha-O methoxy analogue were also isolated for the first time from this source. The structures have been identified with the help of FAB-MS, H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR and extensive 2D NMR spectroscopy, as well as comparison with reported spectroscopic data. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.