Triterpene saponins from Schefflera abyssinica

Pursaethosides A-E, triterpene saponins from Entada pursaetha.

Five new triterpenoid saponins, pursaethosides A-E (1-5), were isolated from the n-BuOH extract of the seed kernels of Entada pursaetha along with the known phaseoloidin. The structures of 1-5 were elucidated mainly by spectroscopic data interpretation and chemical degradation. Pursaethosides C-E (3-5) possess as a common structural feature entagenic acid as aglycon, which is rare among triterpene saponins. Compounds 2-4 and phaesolidin were found to be not cytotoxic when tested against HCT 116 and HT-29 human colon cancer cells.