SYNTHETIC GLYCOSIDES OF DIGITOXIGENIN, DIGOXIGENIN AND PERIPLOGENIN

¹ From the Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, and the Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York City

1. Six synthetic glycosides, namely, digitoxigenin--, digitoxigenin--tetraacetyl-, digoxigenin--, digoxigenin--tetraacetyl-, periplogenin--, and periplogenin--tetraacetyl-d-glucosides, have been studied pharmacologically and compared with their corresponding natural glycosides and aglycones—digitoxin, digitoxigenin, digoxin, digoxigenin, periplocymarin, and periplogenin.

2. In cats, digitoxigenin-, digoxigenin-, and periplogenin--d-glucosides are more powerful than digitoxin, digoxin, and periplocymarin, respectively. All the tetraacetyl derivatives have a low potency.

3. In frogs, the results are less uniform. While digitoxigenin- and digoxigenin--d-glucosides are more active than digitoxin and digoxin, respectively, periplogenin--d-glucoside is weaker than periplocymarin. There is also suggestion that digoxigenin--tetraacetyl-d-glucoside is more active than digoxigenin.

4. Periplogenin is decidedly less potent than periplocymarin, indicating the favorable influence of the sugar component in the molecule of the glycoside.