Triterpene saponins and lignans from the roots of Pulsatilla chinensis andtheir cytotoxic activity against HL-60 cells

Two new triterpene saponins (8 and 9) and seven previously reported triterp ene saponins (1-7) based upon oleanolic acid or hederagenin, along with two known lignans, (+)-pinoresinol (10) and beta-peltatin (11), were isolated from a saponin fraction prepared from the MeOH extract of the roots of Puls atilla chinensis. The structures of the new saponins were determined by spe ctroscopic analysis, including 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques, and the res ults of hydrolytic cleavage. The isolated compounds and some derivatives we re evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against HL-60 human leukemia cell s.