Elatosides A and B, potent inhibitors of ethanol absorption in rats from the bark of Aralia elata Seem: the structure-activity relationships of oleanolic acid oligoglycosides.

By monitoring the inhibitory effect on ethanol absorption in rats, new active saponins named elatosides A and B were isolated from the bark of Aralia elata Seem. together with elatosides C and D. The structures of elatosides A, B, C, and D were elucidated on the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence. The inhibitory effects of several oleanolic acid oligoglycosides on ethanol absorption have been examined and some structure-activity relationships have been found.