ANTIINFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF UNUSUAL LUPANE SAPONINS FROM BUPLEURUM-FRUTICESCENS

Extracts from Bupleurum fruticescens were examined for oral and topica l anti-inflammatory activities. The BuOH extract proved to be active a gainst carrageenan and tetradecanoylphorbol acetate acute edemas and a llowed the isolation of three saponins identified by spectroscopic tec hniques as 3 beta-O-(O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl- (1 --> 4)-O-[beta-D-gl ucopyranosyl-(1 --> O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)lup-20(29)-ene-23,28-dioic acid (frutice-saponin A), 3 beta-O-(O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 --> O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)lup-20(29)-ene-23,28-dioic acid 28-O-beta-D-gl ucopyranosylester (fruticesaponin B), and 3 beta-O-(O-alpha-L-rhamnopy ranosyl-(1 --> 4)-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 --> O-beta-D-glucopyrano syl)lup-20(29)-ene-23,28-dioic acid 28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester ( fruticesaponin C). These compounds were studied against carrageenan, t etradecanoylphorbol acetate, arachidonic acid and ethyl phenylpropiola te acute edemas. Fruticesaponin B, a bi-desmosidic saponin with an unb ranched saccharide moiety was the most active in all the tests applied .