Saponines Steroides: New Molecules in the Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

The research of bioactive natural substances and their use are of a great stake in biological sciences. Originated from plants, they possess numerous interests in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Among these compounds, secondary metabolites are well represented and mainly used in current methods of treatment. Many plants are economically important as they are an irreplaceable source of essential oils, alkaloids, terpenes, saponins, phenylpropanoids and other biologically active molecules. Analyses of these molecules from leaflets of leaves native extracts of date palm are realized using a Hewlett Packard 6890 chromatograph coupled with a HP 5973 electronic impact mass spectrophotometer. The results obtained, under our experimental conditions, made it possible to detect several thermostable volatile organic molecules, among which two steroidal saponins: the Spirost-5-en-3-ol, (3-beta, 25R)-(9CI) and the Spirost-5-en-3.beta.-ol, acetate, (25R)-, also communally called diosgenin and yamogenin acetate. They have a C27 spirostan squeleton and were never identified before in the date palm.