Abstract
By activity-guided fractionation, three known steroidal saponins, prosapogenin A of
dioscin, dioscin and gracillin, were isolated from the total saponin fraction of Dioscorea collettii var. hypoglauca as active compounds causing morphological abnormality of Pyricularia oryzae mycelia. The compounds also exhibited cytotoxic activity against the cancer cell
line K562 in vitro. The structures of the compounds were elucidated on the basis of chemical evidence
and IR, FAB-MS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and two-dimensional NMR (2D-NMR) analysis.