19 new steroidal saponins from Allium plants: isolation, structural elucidation and effect on blood coagulability.

Abstract

Allium plants have been grown for many centuries for their characteristic, pungent flavor and medicinal properties. In ancient China, Egypt, and India, Allium plants (especially onion and garlic) are highly prized as foodstuffs. With regard to the chemical constituents in Allium plants, early investigations have been focused on the volatile compounds (sulfur-containing compounds) and their products, their (involatile) precursors, and the biochemical basis of flavor production.1 Since the tremendous improvements over the last two decades in techniques for the isolation, separation, and analysis of complex structures have been achieved, a variety of steroidal saponins have been isolated from Allium spp. such as A. sativum,2 A. ampeloprasum,3 A. vineale,4 and A. cepa 5. The important biological activities of the saponins are of increasing interest as recently illustrated by their potential value as antifungal agents 2,3 and anti-thrombotic agents.6