Objective: To study the chemical constituents in seeds of Helicia nilagirica.
Method: The ethanol extract was seperated by petroleum ether, dichloromethane, n-butanol in sequence, then isolated by silica gel column chromatography. The structures were identified and elucidated by physicochemical properties and spectral analysis.
Result: Five compounds were isolated from the dichloromethane and n-butanol extracts, identified as p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (1), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (2), gallic acid (3), helicide (4), 4-formylpymyl-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5).
Conclusion: All the compounds except IV were isolated from the plant for the first time. The compounds I, II and III were isolated from the genus Helicia for the first time.