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 (1 H, 13 C 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.