Three new steroidal saponins (1-3), together with four known compounds (4-7), were isolated from the roots and rhizomes of Rohdea chinensis Baker, and their structures were determined as (24S, 25 R)-1β-hydroxy-3β-[(β-D-glucopyranoside)oxy]-spirost-5-en-24-yl-β-D-glucopyranoside (1) and (24S)-spirost-25(27)-en-1β, 3β, 4β, 5β, 6β, 24β-hexahydroxy-24-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), (22S, 25S)-1β, 3β, 4β, 5β, 26, 27-hexanol-furospirost-5, 26-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), together with four known compounds 3-epi-diosgenin-3-β-D-glucopyranosid (4), 3-epiruscogenin (5), 25(R)-1β-hydroxy-spirost-5-en-3α-yl-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (6) and tupichinin A (7), on the basis of physico-chemical properties and spectral analysis. In this study, compounds 1-3 and 5-7 were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against SW620, A549 and HepG2 tumor cell lines. Among them, compound 7 showed moderate cytotoxicity against two human cancer cell lines A549 and HepG 2 with IC50 values of 25.3 ± 2.6 and 26.1 ± 2.5 μM, respectively.
Keywords: Rohdea chinensis; cytotoxicity; steroidal saponins.