Studies on differentiation inducers. V. Steroid glycosides from periplocae radicis cortex

Six pregnane glycosides and three cardenolides were isolated as differentiation inducers using mouse myeloid leukemia (Ml) cells from Periplocae Radicis Cortex (bark of Periploca sepium BGE., Asclepiadaceae). The cardenolides showed much higher activities than the pregnane glycosides. Besides these nine compounds, commercially available cardenolides were tested for their differentiation inducing activities using Ml cells. Digitoxin and digoxin induced Ml cells into phagocytic cells, but others did not. In the presence of 1 nM of actinomycin-D, the activity of steroid glycosides was enhanced against Ml cells.