Steroidal glycosides from the bulbs of Allium jesdianum.

Phytochemical analysis of the fresh bulbs of Allium jesdianum yielded four steroidal glycosides, (22S)-cholest-5-ene-1beta,3beta, 16beta,22-tetrol 1,16-di-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1), (22S)-cholest-5-ene-1beta,3beta,16beta,22-tetrol 1-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl 16-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), (25R)-5alpha-spirostane-2alpha,3beta-diol 3-O-[O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-O-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->3)] -O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-galactopyranoside] (F-gitonin) (3), and (25R)-5alpha-spirostane-2alpha,3beta, 6alpha-triol 3-O-[O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-O-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->3)] -O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-galactopyranoside] (4). Compound 2 is a new natural product, and 4 is a new spirostanol saponin. Compound 3 was found to exhibit cytostatic and cytotoxic activities against several malignant tumor cells.