The rhizomes of the medicinal plant Hemsleya amabilis (Cucurbitaceae) yielded three new cucurbitane-type triterpene saponins xuedanosides K-M (1-3) by silica gel column, ODS column, and pre-HPLC techniques. The structure was determined by spectroscopic analysis and examined alongside existing data from prior studies. Compounds 1-3 were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against HeLa and HCT-8 human cancer cell lines and showed significant cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 2.01-14.56 and 8.94-27.48 μM, respectively.
Keywords: Hemsleya amabilis (Cucurbitaceae); cucurbitane-type; cytotoxic activity; triterpene saponins.