A new cytotoxic saponin from the ethyl acetate extract of Myrsine semiserrata wall

Myrsine semiserrata Wall. (Primulaceae) is an evergreen shrub found in some Asian regions including Northern Vietnam, Southern China, India, Nepal, and Myanmar. Its bark and leaves are utilized in leather tanning while the fruit serves as a commonly used antiseptic agent. Phytochemical study on the ethyl acetate extract from the aerial parts of this plant led to the isolation of a new saponin 3‐O‐α‐L‐arabinopyranosyl juglangenin A (1) and four known triterpenes, lupeol acetate (2), taraxerone (3), cucurbitacin D (4), and cucurbitacin H (5). Their structures were proven by analyzing 1D, 2D NMR, and HR‐ESI‐MS spectroscopic techniques. All isolated compounds were tested for their cytotoxicity on human cancer cell lines: HepG2, KB, MCF7, and A549. Compounds 4 and 5 exhibited potent activity against HepG2 and KB cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 1.06 to 5.99 µm. Saponin substance 1 demonstrated action against all cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 74.26, 42.83, 40.65, and 70.82 µm, respectively.