Two new biologically active triterpenoidal saponins acylated with salicylic acid from Albizia adianthifolia

Two new oleanane-type triterpene saponins, adianthifoliosides A (1) and B (2), were isolated from a 95% ethanolic extract of roots of Albizia adianthifolia. Their structures were elucidated mainly by using a combination of 600 MHz 1D and 2D NMR techniques (COSY, NOESY, TOCSY, HSQC, and HMBC) and by FABMS and HRESIMS. Compounds 1 and 2 were characterized as glycosides of acacic acid acylated by an o-hydroxybenzoyl unit. The crude saponin mixture (CSM), compounds 1 and 2 together with 3 and 4 (prosapogenins obtained from the mild alkaline hydrolysate of the CSM), were evaluated for immunomodulatory activity on the Jurkat T cell line and for hemolytic property against sheep erythrocytes. Compound 2 and, to a lesser extent, 1 and 3 were found to exhibit a dose-dependent immunomodulatory effect in the concentration range 10(-2)-10 muM, whereas 4 showed a lymphoproliferative activity in the same concentration range. Among the compounds tested, only 1 and 2 were found to be hemolytic.