Lebbeckoside C, a new triterpenoid saponin from the stem barks of Albizia lebbeck inhibits the growth of human glioblastoma cells.

One new acacic acid-type saponin, named lebbeckoside C (1), was isolated from the stem barks of Albizia lebbeck. Its structure was established on the basis of extensive analysis of 1D and 2D NMR (1H, 13C NMR, DEPT, COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, HSQC and HMBC) experiments, HRESIMS studies, and by chemical evidence as 3-O-[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(l→2)-β-d-fucopyranosyl-(1→6)-[β-d-glucopyranosyl(1→2)]-β-d-glucopyranosyl]-21-O-{(2E,6S)-6-O-{4-O-[(2E,6S)-2,6-dimethyl-6-O-(β-d-quinovopyranosyl)octa-2,7-dienoyl]-4-O-[(2E,6S)-2,6-dimethyl-6-O-(β-d-quinovopyranosyl)octa-2,7-dienoyl]-β-d-quinovopyranosyl}-2,6-dimethylocta-2,7-dienoyl}acacic acid 28 O-[β-d-quinovopyranosyl-(l→3)-[α-l-arabinofuranosyl-(l→4)]-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(l→2)-β-d-glucopyranosyl] ester. The isolated saponin (1) displayed significant cytotoxic activity against the human glioblastoma cell line U-87 MG and TG1 stem-like glioma cells isolated from a patient tumor with IC50 values of 1.69 and 1.44 μM, respectively.