Stauntonia hexaphylla: In Vitro Culture and Production of Triterpenes

Abstract

Stauntonia hexaphylla (Lardizabalaceae, Japanese name mube) (Fig. 1) is widely distributed in thickets in lowlands and foothills in warmer regions of Japan, Korea and China. It is an evergreen, glabrous woody climber, whose flowers, usually unisexual, bloom pale yellow in April–May (Ohwi 1984). Stauntonia plants occur over 15 species in eastern Asia. A general outline of the lardizabalaceous family has been earlier cited (Ikuta 1991). A decoction of the stem and the root of the plant or the pericarp of the fruit is used as a diuretic in Japan and China. The fruits also activate the circulation and improve the eyesight, the barks are prepared in a compound to treat blennorrhea and to regulate menstruation (India-China) (Perry and Metzger 1980). From defatted powdered seeds of S. hexaphylla extd. (1.1 kg), three acidic triterpene glycosides mubenins A (7.2 g), B (7.9 g), and C (5.2 g) containing oleanolic acid for A and B, and hederagenin for C as the sapogenins were isolated and determined (Takemoto and Kametani 1965). (Fig. 2). Furthermore, six triterpene saponins (Yemuoside YM 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, and 14) and two lignan glycosides (YM 2 and 6) have been reported from S. chinensis DCNE grown in South China. This plant has been used as a traditional medicine in China especially for analgesic and sedative purposes (Wang et al. 1989a, b, 1990). Earlier six triterpenes, two sterols and four saponins containing eight new compounds were reported from the callus tissues of the lardizabalaceous plant Akebia quinata (Ikuta and Itokawa 1986, 1988, 1989a, Ikuta 1991).