STUDIES ON CHEMICAL COMPONENTS OF CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS PETALS

The flower petals of Carthamus tinctorius L. (Compositae) provide one of the most important drugs in traditional Chinese medicine¹ used for the treatment of gynecological diseases, heart diseases and inflammation². Carthamin, safflor yellows A and B, safflomin A, and C, isocarthamin, isocarthamidin, hydroxysafflor yellow A, and tinctormine have been reported from these petals, as well as several new flavonoids and phenolic compounds³. A continuation of these studies has led to the isolation of four compounds including a new flavonoid glucoside.The dried petals of C.tinctorius, cultivated in Sichuan, China, were extracted with 95% ethanol, and the extract was partitioned between H₂O and organic solvents (petroleum ether and EtOAc). The water fraction was subjected to Diaion D101 and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography with elution by a gradient of EtOH in water to yield compounds 1～4. Compound I is 6hydroxykaempferol 3-O-glucoside, compound II is a new compound named 6-hydroxykaempferol 7-O-glucoside, compound 3 is kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside and compound 4 is quercetin 3-O-glucoside.