Separation and identification of steroidal compounds with cytotoxic activity against human gastric cancer cell lines <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis> from the rhizomes of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paris polyphylla</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">chinensis</Emphasis>

A novel steroidal saponin, along with 12 known steroidal compounds, was isolated from the rhizomes of Paris polyphylla var. chinensis. Spectral data, including two-dimensional NMR, showed that the structure of the novel saponin was 3β,21-dihydroxypregnane-5-en-20S-(22,16)-lactone-1-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→2)-β-D-xylopyranosyl(1→3)]-β-D-glucopyranoside. The isolated steroidal compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity on human gastric cancer cell line HepG₂, SGC7901, BxPC3. Diosgenin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→2)α-L-rabinofuranosyl(1→4)]-β-D-glucopyranoside exhibited the most potent cytotoxic activity among the isolated steroids. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 556–560, November–December, 2007.