Corms are obtained as a byproduct during the cultivation of saffron (Crocus sativus). In a project aimed at the valorization of this waste product, we observed that a 70% EtOH extract of the corms and a sugar-depleted MeOH fraction of the extract inhibited the TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced secretion and gene expression of the chemokines IL-8, MCP-1, and RANTES in human HaCaT cells. The effects were in part stronger than those of the positive control hydrocortisone. For preparative isolation, the 70% EtOH extract was partitioned between n-BuOH and water. Separation of the n-BuOH-soluble fraction by centrifugal partition chromatography, followed by preparative and semipreparative HPLC, afforded a series of bidesmosidic glycosides of echinocystic acid bearing a 3,16-dihydroxy-10-oxo-hexadecanoic acid residue attached to the glycosidic moiety at C-28. They include azafrines 1 and 2, previously reported in saffron, and eight new congeners named azafrines 3–10. Saffron saponins significantly inhibited TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced secretion of RANTES in human HaCaT cells at 1 μM (p < 0.001). Some of them further lowered TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced gene expression.

中文翻译：

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藏红花球茎皂苷抑制促炎细胞因子的基因表达和分泌

球茎是在种植藏红花 ( Crocus sativus )期间作为副产品获得的。在旨在使这种废物增值的项目中，我们观察到球茎的 70% EtOH 提取物和提取物中的糖耗尽的 MeOH 部分抑制了 TNF-α/IFN-γ 诱导的分泌和基因表达人 HaCaT 细胞中的趋化因子 IL-8、MCP-1 和 RANTES。效果部分强于阳性对照氢化可的松的效果。对于制备分离，将 70% EtOH 提取物分配在n- BuOH 和水之间。分离n-BuOH 可溶部分通过离心分配色谱法，然后是制备型和半制备型 HPLC，得到一系列棘囊酸的双糖苷，带有连接到 C-28 糖苷部分的 3,16-二羟基-10-氧代-十六烷酸残基. 它们包括先前在藏红花中报道的 azafrines 1 和 2，以及名为 azafrines 3-10 的八种新同源物。藏红花皂苷在 1 μM 时显着抑制 TNF-α/IFN-γ 诱导的人 HaCaT 细胞分泌 RANTES ( p < 0.001)。其中一些进一步降低了 TNF-α/IFN-γ 诱导的基因表达。