Abstract
Several years ago the author isolated rhodeasapogenin, a new steroidal sapogenin, from the leaves of Rhodea japonica ROTH. and presumed its structure to be 5β, 22b-spirostane-2β, 3α-diol. In the present work it was found that isorhodeasapogenic acid is identical with tokorogenic acid and that isorhodeasapogenin has a structure of 1β, 3b-dihydroxy-5β, 25D-spirostane. Further, finding that rhodeasapgenin is degradated to methyl 1β, 3β-diacetoxyetiocholanate, the author corrected the previously proposed structure of rhodeasapogenin to 1β, 3β-dihydroxy-5β, 25L-spirostane. The two reactions of isorhodeasapogenin which appeared unusual could be well explained by assigning the above structure to this compound.
