PARTIAL HYDROLYSIS OF SOYASAPONIN-I AND THE HEPATOPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF THE HYDROLYTIC PRODUCTS - STUDY OF THE STRUCTURE-HEPATOPROTECTIVE RELATIONSHIP OF SOYASAPOGENOL-B ANALOGS

As a part of our studies of hepatoprotective drugs, we prepared some s oyasapogenol B analogs from soyasaponin I, We examined the hepatoprote ctive effects of these analogs, using immunologically-induced liver in jury, in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. Soyasaponin III and soyasap ogenol B monoglucuronide were more effective than soyasaponin I, Both compounds were significantly effective even at 30 mu M. The action of soyasapogenol B was almost equal to that of soyasaponin I, although gl ucuronic acid did not show any activity even at the highest dose (500 mu M). When the two compounds were mixed, the hepatoprotective action did not change, compared with soyasapogenol B. Therefore, we concluded that the linkage between glucuronic acid and soyasapogenol B could en hance the hepatoprotective activity.