LABELLED STEROIDAL SAPOGENINS AND HYDROCARBONS FROM TRIGONELLA FOENUMGRAECUM BY ACETATE, MEVALONATE AND CHOLESTEROL FEEDS TO SEEDS

Abstract

Labelled diosgenin with yamogenin, and gitogenin with neogitogenin, were isolated from the seedlings of Trigonella foenumgraecum following germination in water containing acetate–2–¹⁴C, mevalonate–2–¹⁴C and cholesterol–4–¹⁴C. When the seeds were incubated in water at 37° with acetate–2–¹⁴C and mevalonate–2–¹⁴C under conditions which inhibited their germination no incorporation into sapogenin occurred. However, from these feeds a saturated hydrocarbon–containing fraction was isolated which was more radioactive than that obtained from similar feeds to the germinating seed.