Dammarane-type saponins from the flower buds of Panax ginseng and their effects on human leukemia cells

Six dammarane-type saponins, including three new compounds, floralginsenosides Ta–Tc (1–3), and three known, floralginsenoside Td (4), ginsenoside F1 (5), and ginsenoside F5 (6), were isolated from the flower buds of Panax ginseng. Floralginsenoside Td (4) was first isolated from natural plant sources. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive chemical and spectroscopic methods. Compounds 1, 5, and 6 showed cytotoxic activities towards the HL-60 human leukemia cell line with respective IC50 values of 36.3, 23.2, and 62.4 μM. In addition, after the HL-60 cells were treated with these compounds, several apoptosis events, including chromatin condensation and increase in the population of sub-G1 hypodiploid cells, were observed.

Six dammarane-type saponins, including three new floralginsenosides Ta–Tc (1–3), one first isolated from nature, floralginsenoside Td (4), along with two known ones, ginsenosides F1 (5) and F5 (6), were isolated from the flower buds of Panax ginseng. Compounds 1, 5, and 6 showed inhibitory effects on the growth of HL-60 cells with IC50 of 36.3, 23.2, and 62.4 μM, respectively.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide