Triterpene bidesmosides are considered as highly cytotoxic saponins, usually less toxic against normal cells than monodesmosides, and less haemolytic. Biological activity of the betulin-type bidesmosides, rarely found in Nature, and seldom prepared due to serious synthetic problems, is poorly recognized. We report herein a protocol for the preparation of disubstituted lupane saponins (betulin bidesmosides) by treatment of their benzoates with potassium carbonate in dichloromethane / methanol solution. Cytotoxicity of all compounds was tested in vitro for a series of cancer cell lines, as well as normal human skin BJ fibroblasts. Presence of l-rhamnose moiety is crucial for cytotoxicity of betulin bidesmosides. On the other hand, l-arabinose fragment connected to lupane C-3 carbon atom significantly decreases activity. Presented results clearly show that betulin bidesmosides have significant clinical potential as anticancer agents.

Institute of Organic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences Kasprzaka 44 52 01 224 Warsaw Poland

Laboratory of Growth Regulators Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Faculty of Science Palacký University Šlechtitelů 27 CZ 78371 Olomouc Czech Republic

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