Bioactive glycosides from Chinese medicines.

Glycosides are the bioactive components of many famous Chinese medicines. Here reported are some bioactive glycosides we discovered from Chinese medicines in recent years. (1) Phenolic glycosides from Chinese medicines: Gastrodia elata, Aconitum austroyunanense and Helicia erratica, three bioactive phenolic glycosides were discovered and two of them have been developed into new drugs. (2) Terpenoidal glycosides: a) Monoterpenoid: the sweroside from Swertia moleensis has been developed into an anti-hepatitis drug; b) Diterpenoid: Phlomis betonicoides contains sweet glycosides; c) Triterpenoid: many biologically active triterpenoid glycosides were isolated from Panax plants and Siraitia grosvenorii. (3) Steroidal glycosides: a) C21-steroid: Cynanchum otophyllum and C. atratrum contain anti-epilepsy and anti-tumor glycosides; b) C27-steroid Hemostatic saponins were found in Paris polyphylla.