Preparation, purification and regioselective functionalization of protoescigenin-the main aglycone of escin complex

Abstract

A two-step chemical process for controlled degradation of escin, affording a mixture of olean-12-ene sapogenins, was elaborated and scaled up. The main component of the mixture-protoescigenin-was isolated and purified, in the form of its corresponding monohydrate, without resource to chromatographic methods. This material was further converted into the high purity 3,24;16,22-di-O,O- isopropylidene derivative in a validated large scale laboratory process. © 2013 by the authors.