Further studies on water-soluble components in the bulbs of Allium chinense G. Don have led to the isolation of two new furostanol saponins, chinenoside IV(1)and V(2). On the basis of chemical evidence and spectral analyses [¹H-, ¹³C-IMMR (DEPT),¹H-¹H COSY (COSY45 and p-type), ¹H-¹H relay-COSY, ¹H-¹³C COSY, HMBC, and FAB-MS], the structure of 1 was established as 26-O- β-glucopyranosyl-3β,26-dihydroxy-23-hydroxymethyl-25(R)-5α-furost-20(22)-en-6-one 3-O-β-xylopyranosyl(1→4)-[α-arabinopyranosyl(1→6)]-β-glucopyranoside and that of 2 to be 26-O-β-glucopyranosyl-3β,26-dihydroxy-23-hydroxymethyl-25-(R)-5α-furost-20(22)-en-6-one 3-O-α-arabinopyranosyl (1→6)-β-glucopyranoside, respectively.

The structure of salacenonal, a novel and biogenetically important 29-nortriterpenoid isolated from Salacia reticulata has been established as 3-hydroxy-2-oxo-29-nor-D:A-friedo-oleana-3(4),20(30)-dien-24-al (1).