Four new dammarane-type triterpene saponins from the stems and leaves of Panax ginseng and their cytotoxicity on HL-60 cells.

Four new triterpene saponins, ginsenosides Rh(14)-Rh(17)(1- 4), along with two known compounds, 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg₂ and dammar-(E)-20(22),24-diene-3 β,6 α,12 β-triol, were isolated from the stems and leaves of Panax ginseng. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated as 3 β,6 α,12 β,24 ξ-tetrahydroxy-dammar-(E)-20(22),25-diene 6- O- α- L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)- β-D-glucopyranoside (1), 3 β,12 β,24 ξ-trihydroxy-dammar-(E)-20(22),25-diene 3- O- β- D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)- β-D-glucopyranoside (2), 3 β,6 α,12 β-trihydroxy-dammar-(E)-20(22),24-diene 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), and 3-oxo-6 α,12 β,20(S)-trihydroxy-dammar-24-ene 6-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-D-glucopyranoside (4) by means of extensive spectroscopic and chemical methods, respectively. The isolated compounds were tested for IN VITRO cytotoxicity against HL-60 cells. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.