Acylated oleanane-type triterpene saponins from the flowers of Bellis perennis show anti-proliferative activities against human digestive tract carcinoma cell lines.

Seven oleanane-type triterpene saponin bisdesmosides, perennisaponins N-T (1-7), were newly isolated from a methanol extract of daisy, the flowers of Bellis perennis L. (Asteraceae). The structures were determined based on chemical and physicochemical data and confirmed using previously isolated related compounds as references. The isolates, including 13 previously reported perennisaponins A-M (8-20), exhibited anti-proliferative activities against human digestive tract carcinoma HSC-2, HSC-4, and MKN-45 cells. Among them, perennisaponin O (2, IC50 = 11.2, 14.3, and 6.9 µM, respectively) showed relatively strong activities. The mechanism of action of 2 against HSC-2 was found to involve apoptotic cell death.