Eight steroidal saponins have been isolated from Yucca schidigera Roezl. tr
unk, and their structures were established by spectral (MS and NMR) techniq
ues. These included three novel furostanol glycosides including 3-O-beta -D
-glucopyranosyl-(1 -->2)-[beta -D-xylopyranosyl-(1 -->3)]-beta -D-glucopyra
nosyl-5 beta (25R)-furostan-3 beta ,22 alpha ,26-triol 26-O-beta -D-glucopy
ranoside, 3-O-beta -D-glcopyranosyl-(1 -->2)-[beta -D-xylopyranosyl-(1 -->3
)]-beta -D-glucopyranosyl-5 beta (25R)-furost-20(22)-en-3 beta ,26-diol-12-
one 26-O-beta -D-glucopyranoside, 3-O-beta -D-glcopyranosyl-(1 -->2)-beta -
D-glucopyranosyl-5 beta (25R)-furostan-3 beta ,22 alpha ,26-triol 26-O-beta
-D-glucopyranoside, and five known spirostanol glycosides. On the basis of
the extraction efficiency, furostanol glycosides made up only 6.8% of tota
l saponins isolated.