[Steroidal saponins from Asparagus filicinus]

Three new steroidal saponins, aspafilioside A, B and C together with a known saponin 22-methoxy ASP-IV and beta-ecdysone were isolated from the root of Asparagus filicinus Buch.-Ham. (Chinese name as xiao-bai-bu), a folk medicine of the minorities in Yunnan Province, China, used for the treatment of bronchitis, pneumonitis and cough. Their structures were established as sarsasa pogenin-3-O-beta-D-xy lopyranosyl (1----4)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (I), sarsasapogenin-3-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl (1----4) [alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl (1----6)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (II) and (25S)-5 beta-furost-3 beta, 22, 26-triol-3-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl (1----4) [alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl(1----6)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside-26-O-bet a-D- glucopyranoside (III) by spectral and chemical methods.