Ocotillol type saponins

A Chinese-Japanese cooperative chemical study 104) of the rhizomes of this plant from Zhaotong, Yunnan at 2100m led to isolation of the oleanolic acid saponins, G-IV, C-IVa, and C-V in yields of 3.4, 2.8, and 3.1%. In this respect, then Zhujie-shen is very similar to Japanese Chikusetsu-ninjin. However, the composition of the dammarane saponin fraction of Zhujie-shen which consisted of Rd (0.04% yield). Re (0.12%), Rgi(0.15%), Rg (0.05%), NG-R2(0.02%, see Chapter VIII-2, Table II) and pseudo-ginsenoside-Fii (PG-Fn, 0.04%, an ocotillol-type saponin from leaves of Himalayan Panax and also from leaves of American Ginseng, see Chapter IX-2), was significantly different from that of the Japanese plant. 

As mentioned in Chapter VIII-4, rhizomes of P. japonicus var. major yielded the ocotillol type saponins, majonosides-Rl and -R2, the aglycone of both of which was identical with 20(S)-protopanaxatriol-oxide II (66), the c-24 epimer of (58) 105). 

Another new saponin, PG-Fn, on hydrolysis with crude hesperidinase (see Chapter IV-1) afforded glucose, rhamnose and an acid unstable aglycone (58) 111). The MS of (58) and an acetate of PG-Fn exhibited strong peak at m/z 143 (59) characteristic of ocotillol type triterpenes 113). 

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