Abstract: Swertia mussotii Franch. is a herb used for treatment of liver disease in Qinghai-Tibcran Plateau folk. Further investigation on chemical constituents in aqueous extract of Swertia mussotii Franch. has been reported here. Seven compounds (Ⅰ, Ⅲ–Ⅷ) were achieved except mangiferin (Ⅱ) isolated previously by a chromatograph. They belong in secoiridoids, flavonoids and xanthonoids, respectively. The structures of known compounds were identified as amarogentin(Ⅲ), swertisin(Ⅷ), 8-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-1, 3, 5-trihydroxyxanthone(Ⅶ) and 8-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl)-I, 7-dihydroxy-3-methoxyxanthone (Ⅵ). The structures of other three new compounds have been elucidated as 7-O-β-D-xylopy-ranosyl-1, 8-dihydroxy-3-methoxyxanthone (Ⅳ), 7-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl- (1-2)-β-D-xylopyranosyl]-l,8-dihydroxy-3-methoxyxanthone(Ⅰ)and 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosy 1,8-dihydroxy-5-methoxyxanthone (Ⅴ), by means of the chemical and spectral methods. Mangiferin, amarogentin and 7-0- [α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-2)-β-D-xylopyranosyl]-l,8-dihydroxy-3-methoxyxanthone are the principal glucosides in this plant.

Key words: Swertia mussotii Franch., Xanthone, Mangiferin, Amarogentin, Xanthone Glucosid