title: [Studies on the chemical constituents of Eclipta prostrata (L)].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the chemical constituents of Eclipta prostrata (L).
  
  
  METHODS
  The constituents of E. prostrata were systematically separated with the Bohlmann method and percolation and hot extraction methods, and various chromatographies. The structures were elucidated by chemical and spectroscopic means.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten compounds were isolated from the Eclipta prostrata. Their structures were determined as wedelolactone (1), demethylwedelolactone (2), isodemethylwedelolactone (3), alpha-formylterthienyl (4), strychnolactone (5), beta-sitosterol (6), nonacosanol (7), stearic acid (8), lacceroic acid (9), 3,4-dihydoxy benzoic acid (10). Fourteen ocmpounds, including hydrocarbons and its esters were identified by GC-MS from the least polar fractions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compound 3 is a new coumestan named isodemethylwedelolactone. Compounds 2-10 and compounds characterized by GC-MS analysis were obtained for the first time from Eclipta prostrata.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materia Medica, Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China. jszhang@mail.shcnc.ac.cn
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Q M
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D003374:Coumarins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D036601:Eclipta / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D003374:Coumarins; C051122:wedelolactone; C051123:demethylwedelolactone