Chemical constituents from the fruits of Kochia scoparia and their chemotaxonomic significance

For the phytochemical studies of the fruits of Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad. (Kochiae Fructus, KF), we isolated chemical components from KF. Twenty compounds, including six alkaloids ( 1 – 6 ), nine polyphenols ( 7 – 15 ), three flavonoids ( 16 – 18 ), and two sterols ( 19 – 20 ) were isolated and identified from the ethanol extract of KF by chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. Compounds 2 , 3 , and 5 – 16 were isolated from KF and Kochia genus for the first time. Furthermore, by discussing the taxonomic significance of these secondary metabolites, we found that Araliaceae, Compositae, Ranunculaceae, and Leguminosae might have a close evolutionary relationship. In conclusion, these results provide new insights into the chemical diversity and chemotaxonomic significance of K. scoparia in the Kochia genus and the Chenopodiaceae family.