Phytochemical and chemotaxonomic studies on Dioscorea collettii

A chemical investigation of Dioscorea collettii led to the isolation of twenty-nine compounds, including six steroid saponins (1-6), thirteen monocyclic phenols (7-19), two flavonoids (20-21), three sterols (22-24), and five cyclodipeptides (25-29). The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic methods and by comparing their data to that reported in the literature. This study is the first report of compounds 2-4, 7, 14-17, 21, and 23-24 in D. collettii, while compounds 8-13, 18-20, and 25-29 were first isolated from the genus Dioscorea and the family Dioscoreaceae. The chemotaxonomic significance of the isolated compounds is discussed.