Biological activities of synthetic triterpenoid and steroid β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-D-glucopyranosides

Comparisons of the biological activities of diosgenyl, methyl glycyrrhetinate, or digitoxigenyl 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside with those of other previously tested glycosides confirmed our assumption that both haemolytic and antifungal activities of steroid saponins are generally parallel to each other, while almost all haemolytic triterpenoid saponins have no antifungal activity. The earlier supposition that cardiac diglycosides having a (1-->4) sugar linkage have stronger activities than those with a (1-->6) linkage has been extended by the demonstration of reduced activity also in those with a (1-->2) linkage.