Three new triterpenoidal saponins, 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1 ta-D-g
lucopyranosyl(1-->3)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->4)-beta-D-xylopyrano
syl]-hederagenin 28-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1 -->4)-beta-D-glucopyran
osyl] ester (1), pyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D-xylopyranosyl]-hederagenin et
a-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl] ester (2), and pyrano
syl(1-->4)-beta-D-xylopyranosyl]-hederagenin (3) were isolated from th
e flowers of Cephalaria transsylvanica. Two new prosapogenins, 3-O-[be
ta-D-glucopyranosyl(1 pha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->4)-beta-D-xylopyranosy
l] hederagenin (4) and 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl pyranosyl(1-->2)-bet
a-D-xylopyranosyl]-hederagenin (5) were also isolated after cleavage o
f the ester-glycosidic linkage of the bisdesmosidic compounds. Structu
re elucidation was carried out chemically and spectroscopically.