Saponins Composition of Rhizomes, Taproots, and Lateral Roots of Satsuma-ninjin (<i>Panax japonicus</i>)

Abstract

A new dammarane-type triterpenoid saponin, chikusetsusaponin VII (1), and nineteen known triterpenoid saponins, ginsenoside Rb1 (2), ginsenoside Rb3 (3), ginsenoside Rc (4), ginsenoside Rd (5), ginsenoside Re (6), ginsenoside Rg1 (7), ginsenoside Rg2 (8), ginsenoside Rh1 (9), notoginsenoside R1 (10), notoginsenoside R2 (11), notoginsenoside Fe (12), chikusetsusaponin IVa (13), chikusetsusaponin IV (14), chikusetsusaponin V (15), chikusetsusaponin VI (16), chikusetsusaponin FK6 (17), gypenoside XVII (18), 28-desglucosylchikusetsusaponin IV (19), and zingibroside R1 (20), were isolated from rhizomes, taproots, and lateral roots of Panax japonicus C. A. Meyer, so-called "Satsuma-ninjin," grown in southern Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. The structure of new chikusetsusaponin VII was elucidated on the basis of spectral and physicochemical evidence. Although the chemical composition of the rhizome was found to be similar to that of the "Chikusetsu-ninjin," the saponin composition of lateral root of "Satsuma-ninjin" was found to be close to that of lateral root of P. ginseng. The total yield of oleanolic acid saponins of the taproot was less than that of rhizome, but the total yield of dammarane-type saponins of the taproot was found to be similar to that of rhizome.