STEROIDAL SAPONINS FROM THE BULBS OF LILIUM-LONGIFLORUM AND THEIR ANTITUMOR-PROMOTER ACTIVITY

Two new spirostanol saponins and two new furostanol saponins were isol ated from the fresh bulbs of Lilium longiflorum together with several known saponins. The structures of new compounds were determined to be (25S)-spirost- 5-ene-3 beta,27-diol arabinopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-beta-D-g lucopyranoside}, O-[(S)-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl]-spirost-5-ene-3 be ta,27-diol arabinopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside}, yl-26-O- beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(25R)-furost-5-ene-3 beta,22 xi,26-triol -arabin opyranosyl-(1-->3)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside} and hyl-26-O-beta-D-glucop yranosyl-(25R)furost-5-ene-3 beta,22 xi,26-triol -D-xylopyranosyl-(1-- >3)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside}. The isolated saponins and their derivati ves were examined for inhibitory activity on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol -13-acetate (TPA)-stimulated P-32-incorporation into phospholipids of HeLa cells as the primary screening test to find new antitumour-promot er compounds.