STEROID SAPOGENIN CONSTITUENTS OF FENUGREEK SEEDS

Abstract

Fenugreek seeds grown in Egypt was found to contain tigogenin, neotigogenin, diosgenin, yamogenin and gitogenin. This is the first time to reported the presence of neotigogenin in Fenugreek plant. Tigogenin–neotigogenin pair was separated from diosgenin–yamagenin pair by column chromatography using silver nitrate impregnated alumina as adsorbent and the solvents benzene–petroleum ether (2:3, 2:1). This new method of resolution was found efficient in the separation of Δ^5–steroid sapogenins from their corresponding saturated compounds.