Abstract
The separation of saponins derived from Medicago lupulina L. flowers yielded two saponin fractions. The first one, made up of crystalline saponins, readily precipitable from water solution, was a mixture of three glycosides of soyasapogenol B. Acid hydrolysis of these saponins yielded soyasapogenol B and its three artifacts: soyasapogenols C. D and F. Xylose, rhamnose, galactose, glucose and glucuronic acid were found as sugar constituents. The second fraction obtained by cholesterol precipitation consisted of seven haemolytically active medicagenic acid glycosides. Their hydrolysis furnished medicagenic acid and glucose, xylose, rhamnose and traces of glucuronic acid.
Keywords
Medicago lupulina; blossom; saponins; isolation