Saikosaponin derivatives from Bupleurum wenchuanense.

From the roots of Bupleurum wenchuanense 14 derivatives of saikosaponin were isolated and identified as 2"-O-beta-D-xylopyranosylsaikosaponin b2, 3",6"-O O-diacetylsaikosaponin b2, 2"-O-beta-D-glucopyranosylsaikosaponin b2, saikosaponin b2, 6"-O-acetylsaikosaponin b2, saikosaponin d, 2"-O-acetylsaikosaponin d, 3"-O-acetylsaikosaponin d,6"-O-acetylsaikosaponin d, 16-epichikusaikoside, prosaikogenin G, saikosaponin a,2"-O-acetylsaikosaponin a and 3"-O-acetylsaikosaponin a. The first two compounds are new derivatives of saikosaponin and this is the first isolation of prosaikogenin G from a plant. Their complete 1H and 13C NMR assignments were made by using a combination of 2D NMR techniques (DQF-COSY, HOHAHA, ROESY, HETCOR, HMQC and HMBC). Some of the compounds showed cytotoxic activity against the P-388 cell line.