A bitter principle of asparagus. II. Isolation and structure of furostanol saponin in asparagus edible shoots.

Abstract

Two new furostanol saponins were isolated from the shoots of asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.). One with a bitter taste was identified as 25S-furost-5-ene-3β, 22, 26-triol-3-O-(2, 4-di-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranoside)-26-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and the other with no bitter taste was 25S-furost-5-ene-3β, 22, 26-triol-3-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-glucopyranoside]-26-O-β-n-glucopyranoside on the basis of spectral data and chemical and enzymatic degradation.