Cancer chemopreventive theasaponin derivatives from the total tea seed saponin of Camellia sinensis

Natural QR (quinine oxidoreductase) inducers play critical roles in cancer chemoprevention. Because tea seed saponins of Camellia sinensis exhibited significant QR inducing activities, this study aimed to find bioactive theasaponin derivatives by structure modification on the sugar part and acyl groups. Three kinds of hydrolysis methods were employed to afford 7 major acid hydrolysis products (1–7), 10 alkaline hydrolysates (8–17) and 2...