New Components from the Thorns of Gleditsia sinensis and Their Antimutagenic Activities

Antimutagenic activity-guided fractionation of an extract prepared from the thorns of Gleditsia sinensis Lam. (Leguminosae), which is a perennial shrub widely distributed throughout China (called "Zao Jiao Ci" ) and in Gyeongju city area in Korea (called "Jo Gak Ja" ) and has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of swelling, suppuration, carbuncle and skin diseases, led to the isolation of one triterpenoid and four steroids, which were identified as D:C-friedours-7-en-3-one (1), stigmastane-3,6-dione (2), ${\beta}$-sitosterol (3), sigmasterol (4), and stigmast-4-en-3,6-dione (5). (omitted)