title: Triterpenoid glycosides from the leaves of two cultivars of Medicago polymorpha L.
abstract: The saponin composition of leaves from the Medicago polymorpha cultivars 'Santiago' and 'Anglona' belonging to the botanical varieties brevispina and vulgaris, respectively, was investigated by a combination of chromatographic, spectroscopic, and spectrometric techniques. Several compounds were detected and quantitated by HPLC analysis using the external standard method. Twelve triterpene saponins (1-12) were purified by reverse-phase chromatography and their structures elucidated by spectroscopic (1D and 2D NMR, ESI-MS/MS) and chemical methods. They were identified as glycosides of echinocystic acid, hederagenin, caulophyllogenin, bayogenin, and soyasapogenol B. Two of them (2, 10) were previously reported in M. polymorpha; five of them (4, 6, 7, 9, 12) were already identified in other Medicago species; and three of them (1, 8, 11) were found in other plant genera. The two saponins identified as 3-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-28-O-[β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→6)β-D-glucopyranoside] echinocystic acid (3) and 3-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-28-O-β-D-glucopyranoside echinocystic acid (5) are newly identified natural compounds. The presence of echinocystic acid is reported here for the first time in the genus Medicago. Saponins from the cultivar 'Anglona' were characterized by a higher amount of echinocystic acid glycosydes, whereas saponins from the cultivar 'Santiago' were characterized by a higher amount of hederagenin glycosydes.
authors.affiliation: CRA-FLC Centro di Ricerca per le Produzioni Foraggere e Lattiero Casearie, Viale Piacenza 29, 26900 Lodi, Italy. aldo.tava@entecra.it
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tava
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pecetti
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romani
authors.forename: Mariella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mella
authors.forename: Pinarosa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Avato
mesh_terms: D006027:Glycosides / Q000737:chemistry*; D029902:Medicago / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D006027:Glycosides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014315:Triterpenes