Triterpenoid saponins from the roots of tea plant ( Camellia sinensis var. assamica)

• Published in: Phytochemistry (Oxford) Vol. 53; no. 8; pp. 941 - 946
• Main Authors: Lu, Yi, Umeda, Tatsuya, Yagi, Akihito, Sakata, Kanzo, Chaudhuri, Tirthankar, Ganguly, D.K., Sarma, Scion
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: OXFORD Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2000; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Biological and medical sciences; Camellia sinensis var. assamica; Chemical constitution; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Olean-12-ene; Plant physiology and development; Plant Roots - chemistry; Plant Sciences; Saponins - chemistry; Saponins - isolation & purification; Science & Technology; Spectrometry, Mass, Fast Atom Bombardment; Tea - chemistry; Tea root; Triterpenes - chemistry; Triterpenes - isolation & purification; Triterpenoid saponin; North Africa; Africa; Egypt; Olean-12-ene; Camellia sinensis var. assamica; Tea root; Triterpenoid saponin; triterpenoid saponin; tea root; Camellia sinensis var assamica; olean-12-ene; Terpenoid; Root; Molecular structure; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Triterpene; Isolation; Spermatophyta; Medicinal plant; Theaceae; Saponin
• ISSN: 0031-9422; 1873-3700
• DOI: 10.1016/S0031-9422(99)00559-2

Three olean-12-ene type triterpenoid saponins, named TR-saponins A, B and C, were isolated as methyl esters from tea roots ( Camellia sinensis var. assamica) after treatment with diazomethane. Their structures were established as the methyl esters of 3- O-α- L-arabinopyranosyl (1→3)-β- D-glucuronopyranosyl-21, 22-di- O-angeloyl-R 1-barrigenol-23-oic acid, 3- O-α- L-arabinopyranosyl (1→3)-β- D-glucuronopyranosyl-21- O-angeloyl-22- O-2-methylbutanoyl-R 1-barrigenol-23-oic acid and 3- O-α- L-arabinopyranosyl (1→3)-β- D-glucuronopyranosyl-16α- O-acetyl-21- O-angeloyl-22- O-2-methylbutanoyl-R 1-barrigenol-23-oic acid, 2 2 The absolute configurations of the arabinose and the glucuronic acid have not been determined, but deduced from the fact that those found in leaves of C. sinensis so far are L- and D-isomers, respectively. by extensive 1D and 2D-NMR as well as FABMS and HR-MS analyses.