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Planta Med 1999; 65(1): 030-034
DOI: 10.1055/s-1999-13957
Original Paper

Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Cytotoxicity of Natural Ginseng Glycosides and Semisynthetic Analogues

Lyubov N. Atopkina1 , Galina V. Malinovskaya1 , Georgi B. Elyakov1 , Nina I. Uvarova1 , Herman J. Woerdenbag2, 4 , Albert Koulman2 , Niesko Pras2 , Pierre Potier3
  • 1Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far East Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia
  • 2Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, University Centre for Pharmacy, Groningen, The Netherlands
  • 3Centre National de la Pecherche Scientifigue, Institute de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
  • 4Present address: Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
Further Information

Publication History

March 11, 1998

June 13, 1998

Publication Date:
31 December 1999 (online)

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Abstract:

The cytotoxicity of natural glycosides from Ginseng , semisynthetic analogues and related triterpenes of the dammarane series, isolated from the leaves of the Far-East species of the genus Betula was studied in order to elucidate structure-activity relationships. Some of the compounds studied were active against the human lung carcinoma GLC4 and adenocarcinoma COLO 320 cell lines. The natural glycosides displayed the lowest cytotoxicity. The triterpenes of the dammarane series used as starting aglycones for semisynthetic derivatives were moderately cytotoxic. The dammarane triterpenes possessing keto groups and their semisynthetic glucosides were the most active compounds tested. Cytotoxic effects of the dammarane glucosides were inversely proportional both to the number of sugars attached to the aglycones and to the number of hydroxy groups of the aglycones. The type of side chain and the configuration of the hydroxy group at C-3 in aglycones did not have a significant influence on the cytotoxicity.

Key words:

Panax ginseng - Araliaceae - ginsenosides - chikusetsusaponin-LT8 - Betula - Betulaceae - dammarane type triterpenes - betulafolienetriol - cytotoxicity