Twelve steroidal glycosides (1-12) were isolated from the aerial parts of Avena sativa L. (Poaceae). Among the isolated compounds, 1 was directly isolated from the plant for the first time, and 2-6 were new steroidal glycosides. The structures of 1-6 were determined by analysis of their spectroscopic data, chemical transformations, and chromatographic and spectroscopic analyses of the hydrolyzed products. Compounds 5 and 6 were novel steroidal glycosides with a B-ring contracted skeleton (B-nor steroid). Compounds 1, 9, 11, and 12 were cytotoxic to HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells, MIA PaCa-2 human pancreatic carcinoma cells, and A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells with IC50 values ranging from 0.79 to 13.5 μM. HL-60 cells treated with 1 exhibited apoptotic characteristics, namely, condensed nuclear chromatin, accumulation of sub-G1 cells, and activation of caspase-3. Additionally, the loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential and the release of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm in 1-treated HL-60 cells suggested that 1 induced apoptosis through a mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway.
Keywords: Avena sativa; Poaceae; apoptosis; cytotoxicity; steroidal glycosides.