[Studies on chemical constituents of two plants from Costus].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents of Costus speciosus and C. tonkinensis (Zingiberaceae) distributed in Yunnan province. METHOD: Chromatography and spectral analyses were used to isolate the constituents and elucidate their structure. RESULT: Six compounds were isolated from the rhizome of C. speciosus and elucidated as diosgenin(1), prosapogenin B of dioscin(2), diosgenone(3), cycloartanol(4), 25-en-cycloartenol(5) and octacosanoic acid(6). Four compounds were isolated from the rhizome of Costus tonkinensis and elucidated as tetracosanoic acid(7), succinic acid(8), beta-sitosterol(9) and daucosterin(10). CONCLUSION: Compounds of 3-6 were obtained from C. speciosus for the first time and compounds of 7-10 were obtained from C. tonkinensis for the first time too.