Steroidal saponins from the leaves of Cordyline fruticosa (L.) A. Chev. and their cytotoxic and antimicrobial activity

Three new steroidal saponins, spirosta-5,25(27)-diene-1 beta, 3 beta-diol-1-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1! 2)beta- D-fucopyranoside (fruticoside H) 1, 5 alpha-spirost-25(27)-ene-1 beta, 3 beta-diol-1-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl( 1! 2)-(4-O-sulfo)-beta-D-fucopyranoside (fruticoside I) 2, and (22S)-cholest-5-ene-1 beta, 3 beta, 16 beta, 22-tetrol 1-O-beta-galactopyranosyl-16-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside (fruticoside J) 3, together with the known quercetin 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, quercetin 3-O-[6-trans-beta-coumaroyl]-beta-D-glucopyranoside, quercetin 3-rutinoside, apigenin 8-C-beta-D-glucopyranoside and farrerol, were isolated from the leaves of Cordyline fruticosa. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic techniques (1H NMR, 13C NMR, HSQC, 1H-1H COSY, HMBC, TOCSY, NOESY), mass spectrometry (HRESIMS, Tandem MS-MS), chemical methods and by comparison with published data. Compounds 1 and 2 showed moderate cytotoxic activity against MDA-MB 231 human breast adenocarcinoma cell line, HCT 116 human colon carcinoma cell line, and A375 human malignant melanoma cell line, while compound 3 was not active. Compound 2 also showed a moderate antibacterial activity against the Gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis. (C) 2013 Phytochemical Society of Europe. Published by Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.