Thermal behavior of steroidal glycosides.

Abstract

At present, more than half a thousand C-27 steroidal glycosides of the furostane, spirostane, and spirosolane series, most of which posses diverse biological activity, have been isolated from various representatives of earth flora, and their chemical structures have been elucidated. Methods to establish and modify molecular structures of naturally occurring glycosides include a wide range of chemical techniques. However, the potential of changing their structures under the action of physical factors, particularly high temperatures, have not been studied sufficiently well. Investigations on the thermal behavior of steroidal saponins and their sapogenins are necessitated both by theoretical interest and a need in searching for the ways to obtain new substances from native compounds. The prospects of creating medicines and other biologically active preparations from them demand additional information on their properties. These considerations, in our opinion, justify the investigation of the thermal behavior of steroidal glycosides. A part of the findings in this investigation are presented in this work.