Extracts of Aguoe scliottii Engelm. (Amaryllidaceae) were shown to be effective inhibitors of the Walker carcinoma 256 (intramuscular) tumor system of the CCNSC. The active material was shown to be saponin. By means of a Silica Gel G dry-column technique, an effective separation of the acetates of the saponins present was accomplished. Gitogenin was identified as the genin of all saponins present. While the sugar associated with the saponin showing the highest degree of activity was galactose, the sugars associated with the three other saponins were identified as a mixture of galactose and glucose. Keyphrases 0 Saponins, extraction-Agure schottii 0 Antitumor screening-Aguue schottii saponins Dry Column chromatography-separation 0 TLC-identity
As a result of the continuing search for Southwestern plants having tumor inhibitory constituents, the authors found that the n-butanol extraction of a water extract of the inflorescence of Agaoe schoffii Engelm. (Amaryllidaceae) was active against the Walker carcinoma 256 (intramuscular) tumor system (5WM) of the Cancer Chemotherapy National Service Center (CCNSC). Activity was detected in Sprague rats at a level of 7 % T/C (test/control) at 75 nig./kg., and 28% T/C at 37.5 mg./kg. Activity in this system is defined as a percent T/C value of less than 60 in a satisfactory dose response test (I). The plant' was collected in Pima County, Arizona, during the month of June 1968.
A preliminary examination of the n-butanol extract revealed that saponins were responsible for the tumorinhibitory effects. Separation and subsequent testing of the saponin-containing fraction showed that one of the saponins was substantially more active than the others. The resolution of six detectable saponins was effected by utilizing a modified dry-column chromatographic separation (2-5) of the acetylated saponin mixture from which free reducing sugars had been removed (6). This modification resulted in purer materials and was especially useful for preparing large quantities. Better resolution was achieved using this technique since the solvents passed through the columns in a manner which resulted in a distribution of the components along the total length of the columns.
This procedure involved the sectioning of the drycolumn in order to determine the position of each of the components in the acetylated saponin mixture. The Experimental portion describes the detail. Exploratory samples taken from the columns were run on TLC in order to determine where each of the components was located. Therefore, it was possible to cut the column in such a way that each component could be separated.