Abstract: Five naphthaquinones were isolated from the petroleum ether extract of the cell cultures of Arnebia euchroma (Royle) Johnst.. Their structures were identified as deoxyshikonin, β,β-dimethylacrylshikonin, acetylshikonin, teracrylshikonin and β-hydroxyisovalerylshikonin by means of chemical methods, HPLC, IR and 1H-NMR data respectively. There was no shikonin in the cell cultures, which was obtained from the roots of A. euchroma. The contents of each compound in the cell cultures are different from those in the roots of A. euchroma.

Key words: Arnebia euchroma, Cell cultures, Naphthaquinones