OBJECTIVETo investigate the constituents of fermented leaves of Agave americana, and discover new compounds.

METHODCompounds were purified with silica gel and C8 reverse--phase silica gel column chromatography. The structures were elucidated by chemical and spectroscopic evidence.

RESULTThree steroidal compounds were obtained and their structures were identified as (25R)-5 alpha-spirostan-3 beta, 6 alpha, 23 alpha-triol 6-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside(1), (25R)-5 alpha-spirostan-3 beta, 6 alpha, 23 alpha-triol-3, 6-di-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (cantalasaponin-1) (2) and (25R)-5 alpha-spirostan-3 beta, 6 alpha, 23 alpha-triol(hongguanggenin) (3).

CONCLUSIONCompound 1 is new compound, named agamenoside C.

Agave ; chemistry ; Fermentation ; Glycosides ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Triterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification