Asprellosides A-K, nine new ursane-type triterpenoid glycosides (1-9), and two new oleanane-type triterpenoid glycosides (10 and 11), including six rare sulfated triterpenoid glycosides, were isolated from the roots of Ilex asprella. Their structures were determined on the basis of comprehensive spectroscopic analysis and chemical methods. Among these compounds, asprelloside B (2) and asprelloside C (3) are the first examples of triterpenoid glycosides bearing a rare 3,4-O-disulfo-xylopyranosyl residue. All the saponins isolated showed no significant effects against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in Raw264.7 macrophages.

Front Cover. The plant Ilex asprella (Aquifoliaceae) is a shrub mainly distributed in southern area of China. The roots of I. asprella, named ‘Gang-Mei-Gen' in Chinese, are commonly used as a folk medicine and one of the major ingredients of several popularly consumed herbal teas in Lingnan region. In our continuing investigation on bioactivity constituents of medicinal herbs in the region of Lingnan, eleven new triterpenoid glycosides, named as Asprellosides A−K, including six rare sulfated triterpenoid glycosides were isolated from the roots of I. asprella. Two new compounds represent the first examples of triterpenoid glycosides bearing a rare 3,4-O-disulfo-xylopyranosyl residue as reportet by X.-J. Huang et al, in their full paper at 10.1002/cbdv.201900202.

A new δ-oleanane-type triterpenoid glycoside, 3-O-(3-O-sulfo)-β-D-glucopyranosiduronic acid 3β-hydroxy-13(18)-oleanen- 28-oic acid 28-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (1), along with ten known triterpenoid glycosides, rotundinoside A (2), oblonganoside M (3), 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-L-arabinopyranosyl 3β,19α-dihydroxy-20α- urs-12-en-28-oic acid 28-O-β-D- glucopyranosyl ester (4), ilexsaponin B2 (5), ilexside Ⅱ (6), rotundinoside B (7), ilekudinoside B (8), ilexpublesnin E (9), ilekudinoside D (10) and ilexpernoside D (11), was isolated from the 75% ethanol extract of the roots of Ilex asprella by various chromatographic separation. Their structures were identified on the basis of MS, NMR spectroscopic analysis and chemical methods. In addition, 2-11 were isolated from I. asprella for the first time.