Degradation of Ginseng Saponins under Mild Acidic Conditions

Abstract
Ginseng saponins, ginsenosides Rg1, Re and Rb1, decomposed under mild acidic conditions to yield prosapogenins. The structures of the prosapogenins were investigated by 13C-NMR spectroscopy and Rg1-prosapogenin II was shown to be a mixture of ginsenoside Rh1, and its C-20 epimer, produced by hydrolysis followed by epimerization at C-20. Rg1-prosapogenin III, the other prosapogenin derived from ginsenoside Rg1; was a C-25,26 hydrated derivative of Rg1-prosapogenin II. Re-prosapogenin II was identified as a mixture of ginsenoside Rg2 and its C-20 epimer, and Re-prosapogenine III as a C-25,26 hydrated derivative of Re-prosapogenin II.

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