摘要：Phytochemical analysis of the whole Helleborus foetidus plants identified 28 steroidal glycosides ( 1 – 28 ), including 20 novel spirostanol glycosides ( 1 – 20 ) and a novel furostanol glycoside ( 21 ). The structures of the newly identified compounds were elucidated by two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy and hydrolytic cleavage. Compounds 12 , 13 , and 15 were determined to be spirostanol trisdesmosides bearing sugar moieties at the C-1, -21, and -24 hydroxy groups of the aglycone unit. The isolated compounds were subsequently evaluated for cytotoxic activity against HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells and A549 human lung carcinoma cells. In particular, 7 showed cytotoxic activity against the HL-60 and A549 cells, with IC 50 values of 5.9 and 6.6 µM, respectively, whereas 19 was selectively cytotoxic to A549 cells with an IC 50 value of 5.5 µM..
