OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents in the active portion from the flowers of Polygonum oriental.

METHODChromatographic techniques were employed for isolation and purification of the constituents and their structures were determined by spectral analysis and chemical evidence.

RESULTNine compounds were obtained and identified as alphitonin (1), methyl 3, 4-dihydroxybenzoate (2), apocynin (3), kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-glucoside (4), 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene (5), 3,3'-dimethoxyellagic-acid-4-O-beta-D-glucoside (6), kaempferol-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnoside (7), quercetin-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnoside (8), kaempferol (9).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 2, 4, 5 were isolated from P. oriental for the first time and compounds 1, 3 were firstly obtained from the genus Polygonum.