escin is a saponin occurring in the seed of the horse chestnut tree.
Escin, a natural mixture of triterpenoid saponins isolated from horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) seeds, is used and studied as a vasoprotective anti-inflammatory, anti-edematous and anti-nociceptive agent. It may be used to study its pharmacokinetics, safety and efficacy as a chemosensitizer and modulator of NF-κ B cell signaling.
The 1st method of preparation of escin (US Patent No. 3,238,190):
500 g of pulverized horse chestnut seeds were extracted two times for 1 hour
with 2.5 L each of aqueous 50% methanol with stirring. The solution was
filtered, additional methanol was added thereto to increase the methanol
concentration to 65%, and then it was filtered again. The obtained solution
containing the extracted saponin had a pH of 5 and was passed through a
column of 500 ml (wet volume) of cation exchange resin (Lewatit S-100 of
Farben-fabriken Bayer A.G.) which had been treated with 65% methanolic 1%
sulfuric acid and then had been washed neutral with 65% methanol. The
solution leaving the resin had a pH in the range of about 3 to 4 and was
concentrated by distillation to about 4/5 of its original volume. On cooling,
crystallization of the escin started and the solution was allowed to stand until
the crystallization had been completed. Escin having a melting point of 224-
226°C was obtained in a yield of 2%, calculated on the starting material.
The 2st method of preparations of escin (US Patent No. 3,163,636):
An ethereal solution of 1 kg of cholesterol is added to 100 kg of a 10%
aqueous-alcoholic horse extract. The resulting emulsion is stirred at 90°C for
1 hour, while the ether is distilled off. The water insoluble saponin-cholesterol
precipitate is centrifuged and washed with cold water until the wash water is
colorless. The precipitate is air-dried at room temperature. The resulting dustfine powder is extracted with ether in a Soxhlet apparatus for 10 days. The
residue is treated with 20 kg of methanol and the undissolved material is
filtered off. The yellowish methanol solution is treated with activated charcoal
until it is colorless. The methanol is distilled off in a vacuum, and the residue
is dried over phosphorus pentoxide in a vacuum not exceeding 1 mm Hg. The
yield of pure sodium escinate obtained thereby is about 0.8 kg (8%).
Antiedemic, Capillary protective
This substance is a primary reference substance with assigned absolute purity (considering chromatographic purity, water, residual solvents, inorganic impurities). The exact value can be found on the certificate. Produced by PhytoLab GmbH & Co. KG
Flammability and Explosibility
Non flammable
