Triterpenoid saponins from the roots of Pulsatilla koreana.

Six new saponins, five lupanes (1-5) and one oleanane (6), along with 11 known saponins, were isolated from the roots of Pulsatilla koreana. The structures of the new saponins were found to be 23-hydroxy-3beta-[(O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-O-[O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)]-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl)oxy]lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid (1), 23-hydroxy-3beta-[(O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl)oxy]lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid (2), 3beta-[(O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-O-[O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)]-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl)oxy]lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid (3), 3beta-[(O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl)oxy]lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid (4), 23-hydroxy-3beta-[(O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl)oxy]lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid (5), and hederagenin 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-alpha-L-arabinopyranoside (6). Their structures were determined on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR ((13)C NMR, (1)H NMR, (1)H-(1)H COSY, HMQC, and HMBC) methods, FABMS, and hydrolysis. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against A-549 human lung carcinoma cells.