Saponin containing composition effective against adrenal atrophy

Claim 2

A pharmaceutical composition comprising a saponin of medicinal ginseng and a glucocorticoid.

Claim 3

The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1, wherein said saponin is obtained from Panax ginseng C. A. Mayer, Panax quinquefolium Linne, Panax pseudo-ginseng WALICH or Panax notoginseng BURKILL.

Claim 4

The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1, wherein said saponin is obtained from Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer.

Claim 5

The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1, wherein said saponin contains a compound of formula I: ##STR4## wherein R 1 represents a β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl group, and R represents a β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl,α-L-arabinopyranosyl(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl,β-D-xylopyranosyl(1.fwdarw.6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl,α-L-arabinofuranosyl(1→6)-.beta.-D-glucopyranosyl or β-D-glucopyranosyl group.

Claim 6

The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1, wherein said saponin contains a compound of formula II: ##STR5## wherein R 3 represents an α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl,β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl,β-D-glucopyranosyl or α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl group, and R 4 represents a hydrogen atom or a β-D-glucopyranosyl group.

Claim 7

The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1, wherein said saponin contains a compound of formula I: ##STR6## wherein R 1 represents a β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl group, and R 2 represents a β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl,α-L-arabinopyranosyl(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl,β-D-xylopyranosyl(1.fwdarw.6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl,α-L-arabinofuranosyl(1→6)-.beta.-D-glucopyranosyl or β-D-glucopyranosyl group, and a compound of formula II: ##STR7## wherein R 3 represents an α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl,β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl,β-D-glucopyranosyl or α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl group, and R 4 represents a hydrogen atom or a β-D-glucopyranosyl group.

Claim 8

The pharmaceutical composition of any of claims 4-6, wherein said saponin contains a compound of formula III: ##STR8## wherein R 5 represents a β-D-glucopyranosyl group, and R 6 represents a β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→2)-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl group.

Claim 9

A pharmaceutical composition comprising a glucocorticoid and a saponin selected from the group consisting of compounds of the formulae I, II, and III which are defined in claims 4, 5 and 7, respectively.

Claim 10

The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 1, wherein said glucocorticoid is selected from the group consisting of cortisone, hydrocortisone, corticosterone, prednisone, prednisolone, methyl prednisolone, triamcinolone, dexamethasone, paramethasone and betamethasone; their acetate, succinate, phosphate and sulfate; and alkali metal salts of said succinate, phosphate and sulfate.

Claim 11

The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 1, which is in the form of an external preparation wherein 0.1 to 10% (w/v) of said saponin and 0.05 to 1% (w/v) of said glucocorticoid are contained.

Claim 12

The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 1, which is in the form of an oral preparation wherein 5 to 100 mg of said saponin and 0.5 to 10 mg of said glucocorticoid are contained per one gram or one tablet.

Claim 13

The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 1, which is in the form for an injection administration wherein 5 to 50 mg of said saponin and 1 to 25 mg of said glucocorticoid are contained per ml.

Claim 14

A method of preventing adrenal atrophy comprising administering to a host a therapeutically effective amount of the composition according to claim 1.

Claim 15

A method of treating adrenal atrophy comprising administering to a patient afflicted with adrenal atrophy a therapeutically effective amount of the composition according to claim 1.

Claim 27

A method of treating skin burns comprising administering to a patient suffering from a skin burn a therapeutically effective amount of the composition according to claim 1.

Claim 36

A method according to claim 15, wherein said saponin contains a compound selected from the group consisting of a compound of formula I: ##STR9## wherein R 1 represents a β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl group, and R 2 represents a β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl,β-L-arabinopyranosyl(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl,β-D-xylopyranosyl(1.fwdarw.6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl,α-L-arabinofuranosyl(1→6)-.beta.-D-glucopyranosyl or β-D-glucopyranosyl group, a compound of formula II: ##STR10## wherein R 3 represents an α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl,β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl,β-D-glucopyranosyl or α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl group, and R 4 represents a hydrogen atom or a β-D-glucopyranosyl group, a compound of formula III: ##STR11## wherein R 5 represents a β-D-glucopyranosyl group, and R 6 represents a β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→2)-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl group, and mixtures thereof.