Rat growth-hormone release stimulators from fenugreek seeds.
Bioassay-guided fractionation of MeOH extract from fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) seeds resulted in the isolation of two rat growth-hormone release stimulators in vitro, fenugreek saponin I (1) and dioscin (9), along with two new, i.e., 2 and 3, and five known analogues, i.e., 4-8. The structures of the new steroidal saponins, fenugreek saponins I, II, and III (1-3, resp.), were determined as gitogenin 3-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside, sarsasapogenin 3-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside, and gitogenin 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranoside, respectively. Fenugreek saponin I (1) and dioscin (9) caused ca. 12.5- and 17.7-fold stimulation of release, respectively, of rat growth hormone from rat pituitary cells, whereas gitogenin (5) showed moderate activity. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that steroidal saponins stimulate rat growth-hormone release in rat pituitary cells.
Shim
Sang Hee
SH
School of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 712-749, Korea.
Lee
Eun Ju
EJ
Kim
Ju Sun
JS
Kang
Sam Sik
SS
Ha
Hyekyung
H
Lee
Ho Young
HY
Kim
Chungsook
C
Lee
Je-Hyun
JH
Son
Kun Ho
KH
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry; D029910:Trigonella / Q000737:chemistry*
D010936:Plant Extracts; D013006:Growth Hormone