Studies on the saponins of Lonicera japonica THUNB.

From the aerial parts of Lonicera japonica THUNB.(Caprifoliaceae), twelve triterpenoidalsaponins having oleanolic acid and hederagenin as aglycones, were isolated.The stnuctures of fournew saponins, 6, 9, 11 and 12, were established to be 3-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-28-O-[β-Dglucopyramosyl (1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl] oleanolic acid, 3-O-[α-L-rahmnopyranosyl (1→2)-α-L-arabinopyranosyl]-28-O-β-D-glucopyramosyl hederagenin, 3-O-[α-L-rhamnopyramosyl (1→2)-α-L-arabinopyramosyl]-28-O-[β-D-glucopyramosyl (1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl] oieanolic acid and 3-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1→2)-α-L-arabinopyranoyl]-28-O-[6-acetyl-β-D-giucopyranosyl (1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl] hederagenin, respectively, by means of carbon-13 nuclear magneticresonance spectroscopy and chemical evidence.The present studies revealed that the saponin compositionsof the materials collected at different places were significantly different from each other.Among these sapomins, monodesmosides showed strong hemolytic activity, but bisdesmosidesshowed weak hemolytic activity.