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Two new triterpene saponins, 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->4)]-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-22-O-angeloyl-R1-barrigenol (1) and 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->4)]-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-22-O-beta,beta-dimethylacryloyl-A1-barrigenol (2), were isolated from the roots of Eryngium campestre (Apiaceae). Their structures were established mainly by 2D NMR techniques and mass spectrometry.

This investigation evaluated the gastroprotective activity of Astragaloside IV, a cycloartane-type triterpene glycoside isolated from Astragalus zahlbruckneri. Gastric mucosal damage was induced in rats by intragastric ethanol (1 mL/rat). Rats treated orally with Astragaloside IV suspended in Tween 80 at 3, 10 and 30 mg kg(-1), showed 15, 37 and 52% gastroprotection, respectively. The gastroprotection observed at 30 mg kg(-1) for this compound was attenuated in rats pretreated with N(G)-nitro-L arginine methyl ester (70 mg kg(-1), i.p), a nitric oxide (NO)-synthase inhibitor, suggesting that the gastroprotective mechanism of this glycoside involves, at least in part, the participation of NO. The gastroprotective effect of Astragaloside IV was not affected by the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis with indometacin (10 mg kg(-1), s.c.) nor by the block of endogenous sulfhydryls with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM, 10 mg kg(-1), s.c.). Carbenoxolone was used as a gastroprotective model drug and showed a dose-dependent gastroprotective effect (25, 43 and 88% of gastroprotection, at 3, 10 and 30 mg kg(-1), respectively). The partial participation of prostaglandins, sulfhydryls and NO was observed in the gastroprotective mechanism of carbenoxolone.

Three new cycloartane-type triterpene glycosides have been isolated from the aerial parts of Astragalus trojanus. The structures were established mainly by a combination of one- and two-dimensional NMR techniques [1H-1H-correlation spectroscopy (COSY), 1H-13C-heteronuclear multiple quantum correlation spectroscopy (HMQC), and 1H-13C-heteronuclear multiple-bond correlation spectroscopy (HMBC)] and high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS) as 3-O-beta-(2',3'-di-O-acetyl)-D-xylopyranosyl-6-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-16-O- acetoxy-20(R),24(S)-epoxycycloartane-3beta,6alpha,16beta,25-tetrol, 3-0-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-(3',4'-di-O-acetyl)-D-xylopyranosyll-6-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-20(R),24(S)-epoxycycloartane-3p,6alpha,16beta,25-tetrol, 3-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-6,16-di-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-20(R)24(S)-epoxycycloartane-3beta,6alpha,16beta,25-tetrol.

Six novel cycloartane-type glycosides were isolated from the roots of Astragalus trojanus. Two of these, compounds 1 and 2, have (20R, 24S)-epoxy-3beta,6alpha,16beta,25-tetrahydroxycycloartane as the aglycon, while compounds 3-6 possess 3beta,6alpha,16beta,(24S), 25-pentahydroxycycloartane as the aglycon. The saccharide moieties linked to the C-3, C-6, and C-24 or C-25 positions of the aglycons in 1-6 contained either xylopyranose, glucopyranose, rhamnopyranose, or arabinopyranose units. Structure elucidation of compounds 1-6 was accomplished through the extensive use of 1D and 2D NMR techniques. In addition, a new oleanene glycoside (7) and a new tryptophan derivative (8) were also isolated and characterized.

Four new allose-containing triterpenoid saponosides, scabriosides A, B, C and D were isolated from the roots of Scabiosa rotata. Their structures were established as 3-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-28-O-[beta-D-allopyranosyl (1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-pomolic acid, 3-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->2)-beta-D-xylopyranosyl]-28-O-[beta-D-allopyranosyl (1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-pomolic acid, 3-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->2)-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl]-28-O-[beta-D-allopyranosyl (1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-pomolic acid, and 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->3)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->2)-beta-D-xylopyranosyl]-28-O-[beta-D-allopyranosyl(1-->6) -beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-pomolic acid, respectively, by the help of spectral evidence (IR, 1D- and 2D-NMR, FAB-MS).