Abstract: This invention relates to a group of novel sapogenins, their use in anti-cancer applications, and to a process for their production. More particularly, this invention pertains to a novel group of dammarane sapogenins, PAM-120, PBM-110 and PBM-100 (the dammarance sapogenine structure is specifically clean of any sugar moieties (glycons) at any position and hydroxyl at C-20) and PAN-20 and PAN-30 (the dammarance sapogenin structure has sugar moieties but is free of hydroxyl at C-20), obtained by chemical cleavage of dammarane saponins. The invention also includes a novel application of the said sapogenins for anti-cancer treatment by using them separately or together, and/or jointly with other drugs, as well as to the process of producing these novel sapogenins. Said novel dammarane sapogenins show surprising anti-cancer effect when applied, particularly against multi-drug resistant cancers.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for producing sapogenins and ginsenosides comprising the steps of mixing a ginsenoside extract with water, mixing the ginsenoside extract and water with an alkali-metal alcoholate solution or a hydroxide-ethanol solution to produce a mixture; or, alternatively, mixing a ginsenoside extract with ethanol, mixing the extract and ethanol with alkali-metal alcoholates solution to produce a mixture. The resultant mixture is placed in a reaction tank so that the resultant mixture can undergo chemical reactions under high temperature and high pressure effective to produce sapogenins therefrom. The temperature of the reaction tank can range between 150-300° C. and the pressure can range between 2.5 to 8.4 MPa. After the reaction is completed, an intermediate product of a mix of ginsenosides and sapogenins from the ethanol mixture is collected and the desired sapogenins and ginsenosides are separated from the intermediate product by silica-gel-column chromatography.

Abstract: This invention relates to a group of novel sapogenins, their use in anti-cancer applications, and to a process for their production. More particularly, this invention pertains to a novel group of dammarane sapogenins, PAM-120, PBM-110 and PBM-100 (the dammarance sapogenine structure is specifically clean of any sugar moieties (glycons) at any position and hydroxyl at C-20) and PAN-20 and PAN-30 (the dammarance sapogenin structure has sugar moieties but is free of hydroxyl at C-20), obtained by chemical cleavage of dammarane saponins. The invention also includes a novel application of the said sapogenins for anti-cancer treatment by using them separately or together, and/or jointly with other drugs, as well as to the process of producing these novel sapogenins. Said novel dammarane sapogenins show surprising anti-cancer effect when applied, particularly against multi-drug resistant cancers.