A Modified Alkaline Hydrolysis of Total Ginsenosides Yielding Genuine Aglycones nad Prosapogenols

To improve the yield of genuine aglycones from glycosides, the conditions of alkaline hydrolysis were investigated, and a modified method was established. The modified method empolyed pyridine as an aprotic solvent. To complete the hydrolysis and obtain 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (1) and 20(S)-protopanaxatriol(2), which are the genuine aglycones of ginsenosides, total ginsenosides were refluxed with sodium methoxide in pyridine. Addition of methanol, a protic polar solvent to the reaction miuxture, led partial hydrolysis yielding a mixture of the genuine prosapogenols. Of the prosapogenols compound 3 and 6 characteristically possessed D-glucopyranosyl moiety attached at the sterically hindered C-20 hydroxyl group. 3 and 6 were not obtaijned by other hydrolysisw methods except by the soil bacterial hydrolysis.