title: Saponins in the leaves of birch? Hemolytic dammarane triterpenoid esters of Betula pendula.
abstract: Three hemolytic dammarane triterpenes, esterified with malonate at C-3 and acetate at C-12, were isolated from the leaves of Betula pendula. Their structures were elucidated by chemical and spectroscopic means. Former reports on the presence of saponins in birch leaf extracts could not be confirmed. The hemolytic activity of the extracts, which was ascribed to saponins, is caused by the dammarane esters instead. A fraction containing a mixture of the dammarane esters did not exhibit diuretic activity when tested p.o. in male Wistar rats.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Pharmazeutische Biologie, Universität Bonn, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rickling
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Glombitza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004952:Esters; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008745:Methylation; D015394:Molecular Structure; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014197:Trees / Q000737:chemistry*; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004952:Esters; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D012503:Saponins; D014315:Triterpenes