Dammarane-type saponins from leaves of Ziziphus spina-christi

Phytochemical profiling of Ziziphus spina-christi leaves afforded 10 saponins. Saponins 8-10 contained unprecedented dammarane-type aglycons. A plausible biogenetic pathway leading from the aglycons in 8 and 9 to that in 10 was proposed.156