[Study on chemical constituents from Incarvillea arguta and their accelerating PC-12 cell differentiation].

To study chemical constituents of Incarvillea arguta and their accelerating PC-12 cell differentiation. The constituents were isolated and repeatedly purified on silica gel column chromatography, and were identified on the basis of physicochemical and spectroscopic analysis. The neurotrophic activity of different portion and all purified compounds from I. arguta was determined on the model of PC-12 cell. Five compounds were isolated from BuOH portion of alcohol extraction of I. arguta. Their structures were identified as plantarenaloside (I), 5-hydroxy-4', 6 7-trimethoxy-flavone (II), 4', 5-dihydroxy-6, 7-dimethoxyflavone (III), 4', 5-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavone (IV), 5-dydroxy-4', 7-dimethoxyflavone (V). Compound I is isolated from the plant for the first time and it has neurotrophic activity for PC-12 cell. Compounds II approximately V are isolated from the genus Incarvillea for the first time.