Cytotoxicity of natural ginseng glycosides and semisynthetic analogues

The cytotoxicity of natural glycosides from Ginseng, semisynthetic analogue s and related triterpenes of the dammarane series, isolated from the leaves of the Far-East species of the genus Betula was studied in order to elucid ate structure-activity relationships. Some of the compounds studied were ac tive against the human lung carcinoma GLC, and adenocarcinoma COLO 320 cell lines. The natural glycosides displayed the lowest cytotoxicity. The trite rpenes of the dammarane series used as starting aglycones for semisynthetic derivatives were moderately cytotoxic. The dammarane triterpenes possessin g keto groups and their semisynthetic glucosides were the most active compo unds tested. Cytotoxic effects of the dammarane glucosides were inversely p roportional both to the number of sugars attached to the aglycones and to t he number of hydroxy groups of the aglycones. The type of side chain and th e configuration of the hydroxy group at C-3 in aglycones did not have a sig nificant influence on the cytotoxicity.