[Alkaline-degradation products of ginsenosides from leaves and stems of Panax quinquefolium].

Aim: To study the alkaline-degradation products of ginsenosides from leaves and stems of Panax quinquefolium L.

Methods: Isolation and purification were carried out on silica gel and HPLC; the structures of chemical constituents were elucidated by spectral analysis.

Results: From the alkaline-degradation products, nine compounds were identified as: 20 (S) -protopanaxadiol (I), 20 (S) -dammar-25 (26)-ene-3beta, 12beta, 20-triol (II), 24 (R) -ocotillol (III), 20 (S) -protopanaxatriol (IV), 20 (S) -dammar-25 (26)-ene-3beta, 6alpha, 12beta, 20-tetrol (V), dammar-20 (21), 24-diene-3beta, 12beta-diol (VI), dammar-20(21), 24-diene-3beta, 6alpha, 12beta-triol (VII), 20 (S), 24 (S) -dammar-25 (26) -ene-3beta, 6alpha, 12beta, 20, 24-pentanol (VIII), 20 (S) -dammar-23-ene-25-hydroperoxyl-3beta, 6alpha, 12beta, 20-tetrol (IX).

Conclusion: The configuration of C20 position of ginsenosides was not changed by alkaline-degradation. The complete assignments of 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts of four new compounds V, VII, VIII, IX, were acquired by means of 2D NMR spectra. Compound I showed antitumor effect on human colon carcinoma cells in vitro.