A new biologically active acylated triterpene saponin from Silene fortunei.

A new acylated triterpene-saponin (1), together with a mixture of the known jenisseensosides C and D, has been isolated from the roots of Silene fortunei. The structure of the new compound was established by chemical means and spectroscopic methods as 3-O-[beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl]-28 -O- [[alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1-->2)-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl- (1-->3)-b eta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->4)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)]-[beta-D- glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-4-O-acetyl-beta-D-fucopyranosyl]quillaic acid. This saponin showed a significant enhancement of granulocyte phagocytosis in vitro.