Objective: To investigate the chemical constituents of Corydalis yanhusuo.
Method: The compounds were isolated and purified by column chromatography over macroporous absorption resin, silica gel, and Sephadex LH-20. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectral data.
Result: 22 compounds were isolated and identified as corydaline (1), tetrahydropalmatine (2), protopine (3), tetrahydrocorysamine (4), tetrahydrocoptisine (5) , tetrahydroberberine (6), tetrahydrocolumbamine (7), noroxyhydrastine (8), dehydrocorydaline (9), glaucine (10), columbamine (11), 8-oxocoptisine (12), 13-methyl-columbamine (13), coptisine (14), palmatine (15), herberine (16), oxoglaucine (17), 13-methyl-palmatrubine (18), dehydrocorybulbine (19), stepharanine (20), adenosine (21), and N5 -acetylornithine (22).
Conclusion: Compounds 13, 20, 21, and 22 were isolated from this plant for the first time.