Steroidal glycosides from the bulbs of Allium jesdianum

Phytochemical analysis of the fresh bulbs of Allium jesdianum yielded four steroidal glycosides, (22S)-cholest-5-ene-1 beta, 3 beta,16 beta,22-tetrol 1,16- di-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1), (22S)-cholest-5-ene-1 beta,3 beta,16 beta,22-tetrol 1-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl 16-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), (25R)-5 alpha-spirostane-2 alpha,3 beta-diol 3-O-{O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-O-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-galactopyranoside} (F-gitonin) (3), and (25R)-5 alpha-spirostane-2 alpha,3 beta,6 alpha-triol 3-O-{O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-O-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-galactopyranoside} (4). Compound 2 is a new natural product, and 4 is a new spirostanol saponin. Compound 3 was found to exhibit cytostatic and cytotoxic activities against several malignant tumor cells.