Chemical constituents of the leaves of Dracaena thalioides.

Two new furostanol bisdesmosides (1 and 2) and seven known compounds (3-9) were isolated from the leaves of Dracaena thalioides (Agavaceae). The structures of the new compounds were determined on the basis of spectroscopic data and the results of hydrolytic cleavage. The isolated compounds were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells. Compound 5, a glyceroglycolipid-related compound assigned as (2S)-1-O-linoleoyl-3-O-beta-D-galactopyranosylglycerol, was found to induce apoptotic cell death in HL-60 cells with an IC50 value of 25.8 microM.