title: Purification of toxic saponins from Narthecium asiaticum Maxim.
abstract: Toxic substances in Narthecium asiaticum Maxim. were isolated and purified, monitoring the oral toxicity in guinea pigs. The crude extract prepared from the methanolic extract of the plant contained 2 major saponins (C8 and C9), and 7 corresponding saponins (C1-7) on TLC. The crude extract was fractionated by a conventional method for saponin preparation. The 1-butanol fraction was rich in C8 and C9, and showed oral toxicity. C8 and C9 were isolated by fractional precipitation and silica gel column chromatography. On the basis of C-13 and H-1 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectral data, and acid and enzymatic hydrolysis of C9, C9 was confirmed to be a mixture of two furostanol saponins (C9a, C9b); a branched trisaccharide composed of galactose, glucose, and arabinose, was linked at 3 beta-C, and glucose at 26-C of sarsasapogenin and smilagenin. C8 was considered to be a furostanol saponin containing xylose instead of arabinose in the structure of C9. Oral administration of C8 and C9 caused diarrhea, proteinuria, hematuria and death in guinea pigs.
authors.affiliation: Chuo Livestock Hygiene Service Center, Yamagata, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagasawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mimaki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000855:Anorexia / Q000139:chemically induced; D002845:Chromatography; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000139:chemically induced; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D012503:Saponins / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000633:toxicity*; D014312:Trisaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D012503:Saponins; D014312:Trisaccharides