Triterpene saponins from Eryngium campestre.

Five new triterpene saponins, 3-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-d-glucuronopyranosyl-22-O-beta,beta-dimethylacryloyl-A1-barrigenol (1), 3-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-d-glucuronopyranosyl-22-O-angeloyl-R1-barrigenol (2), 3-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-d-glucuronopyranosyl-21-O-acetyl-22-O-angeloyl-R1-barrigenol (3), 3-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-d-glucuronopyranosyl-21-O-acetyl-22-O-beta,beta-dimethylacryloyl-R1-barrigenol (4), and 3-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-d-glucuronopyranosyl-22-O-angeloyl-28-O-acetyl-R1-barrigenol (5), were isolated from the roots of Eryngium campestre. Their structures were established mainly by 2D NMR techniques and mass spectrometry. Compounds 1-4 and 3-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->4)]-beta-d-glucuronopyranosyl-22-O-beta,beta-dimethylacryloyl-A1-barrigenol, previously isolated from the same plant, showed a weak cytotoxicity when tested against HCT 116 and HT 29 human colon cancer cells.