Steroidal Glycosides of Cordyline australis

Abstract

The n-butanol extract of aerial parts of Cordyline australis demonstrated antifungal activity. n-Butanol and chloroform extracts of dried or fresh leaves of C. australis afforded a steroidal glycoside, which was identified as 5α-spirost-25(27)-en-3β-ol 3-O{O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranoside}, saponin 1. This spirostanol glycoside showed strong antifungal activity towards Trichophyton mentagrophytes and some aspecific activity and cytotoxicity against MRC5 cell. The chloroform extract of fresh leaves of C. australis yielded a second new spirostanol glycoside which was identified as 5α-spirost-25(27)-ene-1β,3β-diol 1-{O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-fucopyranoside}, saponin 2. The n-butanol extracts of senescent leaves of C. australis afforded a third new spirostanol glycoside that was identified as 5α-spirost-25(27)-ene-1β,3β-diol 1-{O-β-D- fucopyranoside, saponin 3. A mixture of two isomeric flavonoid glycosides was isolated from dried leaves of C. australis and shown to be a ca 1:1 mixture of isorhamnetin-3-O-{O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside}, 4 and isorhamnetin-3-O-{O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-galactopyranoside}, 5. Three other known steroidal glycosides, β-sitosterol glucoside, 6, prosapogenin A of dioscin, 7, and trillin, 8 were also isolated from the leaves of C. australis. The n-butanol extract of dried stems of C. australis afforded (25S)-5α-spirostane-1β,3α-diol 1-{O-β-D-glucopyranoside}, 9. This spirostanol glycoside showed moderate cytotoxicity against Herpes simplex type I virus (ATCC VR733) and Polio Virus Type I (Pfiser vaccine strain).