Abstract
Parasitaxus usta (Podocarpaceae) is the only parasitic gymnosperm and endemic to New Caledonia. In this survey, 11 flavonoids and 6 phenolic compounds were isolated from the aerial parts. As for flavonoids, six flavones, apigenin 7-O-glucoside (1), luteolin (2), luteolin 7-O-glucoside (3), chrysoeriol (4), chrysoeriol 7-O-glucoside (5) and tricetin 3 ′-O-glucoside (6), one C-glycosylflavone, orientin (7), one flavonol, quercetin 3-O-glucoside (8), one anthocyanin, cyanidin 3-O-glucoside (9), and two biflavones, isoginkgetin (10) and agathisflavone (11) were identified by UV, liquid chromatograph-mass spectra (LC-MS), acid hydrolysis, NMR and/or HPLC comparisons with authentic samples. On the other hand, six phenolic compounds were identified as 5-O-E-p-coumaroyl quinic acid (12), 5-O-Z-p-coumaroyl quinic acid (13), 5-O-E-p-coumaroyl quinic acid methyl ester (14), 5-O-Z-p-coumaroyl quinic acid methyl ester (15), E-caffeic acid methyl ester 3-O-β-glucopyranoside (16), and Z-caffeic acid methyl ester 3-O-β-glucopyranoside (17) by UV, LC-MS and NMR. Chemical components of P usta were reported in this survey for the first time. Their chemical characters were chemotaxonomically compared with those of other Podocarpaceae species.