Bioactive dammarane-type triterpenoids derived from the acid hydrolysate of Gynostemma pentaphyllum saponins

From an acid hydrolysate of the crude saponins of Gynostemma pentaphyllum, three triterpenes, including a new compound (23S)-3β-hydroxydammar-20,24-dien-21-oic acid 21,23-lactone (1) and two known aglycons (20S, 23R)-3β,20β-dihydroxydamma-24-dien-21-oic acid 21,23-lactone (2) and (20S, 24S)-20,24-epoxydammarane-3β,12β,25-triol (3), were isolated. Their structures were established on the basis of extensive spectral evidence (HR-ESI-MS, IR, 1D and 2D-NMR experiments). In bioactive assays in vitro, compound 1 was found to have potent cytotoxicity against the human breast cancer cells MDA-MB-435, whereas compounds 2 and 3 exhibited modest inhibitory activity toward porcine pancreatic lipase. The results indicated that acid treatment of G. pentaphyllum extract could produce diverse structures with interesting bioactivity.