Chem. Pharm. Bull. 54(7) 954—958 (2006)

western regions of the People’s Republic of China. As a Chinese folk medicine, this species has usually been used for treatment of rheumatic diseases and snake-bite. In previous investigations, we have reported the isolation and structural elucidation of several steroidal sapogenins, flavans, and a pregnane genin from this species. Our current phytochemical study for new efficient agents has led to the isolation of a new pregnane glycoside, namely tupichinin A (1) and a first naturally-occurring lignan possessing a hydroxyl group at the benzyl position, 5-hydroxymatairesinol dimethyl ether, namely tupichilignan A (2), three new flavonoids, tupichinol D (3), tupichinol E (4), and tupichinol F (5), together with five known flavonoids, 3-hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-7methoxychromen-4-one (6), rhamnocitrin (7), 3,7-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-chromen-4-one (8), 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4H-chromen-7-ol (9), and 3,5,7,8-tetramethoxy-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-chromen-4-one (10), and two known alkaloids, oxoglaucine (11) and oxopurpureine (12). The characterization and structure elucidation of 1— 5 are reported herein. Tupichinin A (1) was obtained as colorless oil, [a]D 24