Heptasaccharide and octasaccharide isolated from Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis and their plant growth-regulatory activity

Two oligosaccharides, heptasaccharide (HS) and octasaccharide (OS), were isolated from the water extract of the rhizomes of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis. They were identified as linear oligomers, composed of glucose and mannose monomers, with the molecular formula of C42H72O36(M = 1152 and DP = 7) for HS and C48H82O41(M = 1214 and DP = 8) for OS (DP, degree of polymerization). Both had plant growth-regulatory activity at low concentrations, stimulating the shoot formation of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis in culture at 2.5-10 mg/l, and the growth and saponin formation of Panax japonicus var. major hairy roots at 10-30 mg/l. This is the first report on these oligosaccharides isolated from P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis and their plant growth-regulatory activity.