Gypenoside

Gypenosides are triterpenoid saponins and are the main active components of Gynostemma pentaphyllum, a climbing plant in the family Cucurbitaceae.^[1] They have been traditionally used in herbal medicine and have been shown to be effective in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, although their mechanism of action is unknown.^[2]

Gypenosides can be divided into two main structual families, the dammarane-type and the cucurbitane-type. The dammarane-type saponins include compounds that are identical to those found in ginseng (ginsenosides Rb1, Rb3, F2, Rg3, Rc, Rd, malonyl-Rb1, and malonyl-Rd) as well as those that are chemically similar.^[3] As a result there is some interest in exploiting Gynostemma as a more scalable source of ginsenosides.^[4]

Some gypenosides are sweet-tasting, with one being 200 times as sweet as sucrose. Some other gypenosides are bitter-tasting. Both contribute to the taste of the plant.^[5]

Gypenoside A has the chemical formula C₄₆H₇₄O₁₇. It has a dammarane backbone attached to a chain of three sugars at the C-3 position.^[6]

Gypenoside XVII differs from ginsenoside Rb1 by the removal of an outer glucose group. Beta-glucosidase treatment converts the latter into the former.^[7]