Sapogenin

The chemical structure of yamogenin,[1] a sapogenin found in fenugreek

Sapogenins are aglycones (non-saccharide moieties) of saponins, a large family of natural products. Sapogenins contain steroid or other triterpene frameworks as their key organic feature. For example, steroidal sapogenins such as tiggenin, neogitogenin, and tokorogenin have been isolated from the tubers of Chlorophytum arundinaceum.[2] Some steroidal sapogenins can serve as a practical starting point for the semisynthesis of particular steroid hormones.

Diosgenin and hecogenin[3] are other examples of sapogenins.

References

1. Roland Hardman, Ezekiel Abayomi Sofowora (March 1970). "Isolation and characterization of yamogenin from balanites aegyptiaca". Phytochemistry. 9 (3): 645–649. doi:10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85706-4.
2. "Webster's Online Dictionary, definition: Sapogenin". Archived from the original on 2012-09-17.
3. Djerassi, Carl; Martinez, H.; Rosenkranz, G. (1951). "Steroidal Sapogenins. Vii.1Experiments in the Hecogenin Series (Part 1)". The Journal of Organic Chemistry. 16 (2): 303–308. doi:10.1021/jo01142a021.