Identification and Cytotoxic Evaluation of Pregnane Saponins from the Twigs and Leaves of Dregea volubilis

Abstract

Four new polyhydroxy pregnane glycosides, named volubilosides G−K (3, 5–7), along with three known secondary metabolites, dregeoside D_a1 (1), dregeoside K_a1 (2), and volubiloside E (4) were isolated from the twigs and leaves of Dregea volubilis (DV). The chemical structures of these compounds (1–7) were elucidated using spectroscopic techniques (1D and 2D NMR and HR‐ESI‐MS analyses) and compared with those in the published literature. Compounds (1–7) were evaluated for cytotoxicity against eight cancer cell lines (MB49, K562, MKN‐7, HT29, A549, MCF‐7, MDA‐MB‐231, and HepG2), revealing varying levels of cytotoxic effects with IC₅₀ values ranging from 4.29 to 21.05 μM. The results indicated that compounds 1–7 may serve as potential lead compounds for the discovery and development of novel anti‐cancer drugs.