Spirostane, furostane and cholestane saponins from Persian leek with antifungal activity

• The new Persicosides A–E have been isolated from the seeds of Persian leek.
• All isolated saponins were tested against four fungal pathogens.
• Persicosides A and B showed highest antifungal activity.
• The spirostane skeleton is a positive structural feature to enhance the activity.

A phytochemical investigation of the seeds of Persian leek afforded the isolation of two new spirostane glycosides, persicosides A (1) and B (2), four new furostane glycosides, isolated as a couple of inseparable mixture, persicosides C1/C2 (3a/3b) and D1/D2 (4a/4b), one cholestane glycoside, persicoside E (5), together with the furostane glycosides ceposides A1/A2 and C1/C2 (6a/6b and 7a/7b), tropeosides A1/A2 and B1/B2 (8a/8b and 9a/9b), and ascalonicoside A1/A2 (10a/10b), already described in white onion, red Tropea onion, and shallot, respectively. Structure elucidation of the compounds was carried out by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, including 2D NMR spectroscopy and MS spectrometry, and by chemical evidences. The chemical structure of new compounds were identified as (25S)-spirostan-2α,3β,6β-triol 3-O-[β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)] [β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 2)]-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-d-galactopyranoside (1), (25S)-spirostan-2α,3β,6β-triol 3-O-[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 3)] [α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)]-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-O-β-d-galactopyranoside (2), furosta-1β,3β,22ξ,26-tetraol 5-en 1-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl (1 → 3)-β-d-glucopyranosyl (1 → 2)-β-d-galactopyranosyl 26-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1 → 2)-β-d-galactopyranoside (3a,3b), furosta-2α,3β,22ξ,26-tetraol 3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl (1 → 3)-β-d-glucopyranosyl (1 → 2)-β-d-galactopyranosyl 26-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (4a,4b), (22S)-cholesta-1β,3β,16β,22β-tetraol 5-en 1-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl 16-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1 → 2)-β-d-galactopyranoside (5).Antifungal activity of the isolated compounds was evaluated against the fungal pathogens, Penicillium italicum, Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma harzianum and Botrytis cinerea. Persicosides A and B showed the higher activity on the tested fungi highlighting the positive effect of the spirostane skeleton on the antifungal activity.