Abstract: Three new glycosides have been obtained from the herb Halenia elliptica D. Don (Genti- anaceae) which is used for treatment of liver diseases in Qinghai-Tibetan folk. Their structu- res have been identified as 1-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl]-2,3,5,7-terameth-oxyxanthone(Ⅰ) or as l-O-primeverosyl-2,3,5,7-tetramethoxyxanthone),1-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl]-2,3,5-trimethoxyxanthone (Ⅱ, or as 1-O-primeverosyl-2,3,5-trimeth- oxyxanthone), and 1-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl]-2,3,4,5-tetramethoxyxan- thone (Ⅲ, or as 1-O-primeverosyl-2,3,4,5-tetramethoxyxanthone) respectively, by means of che- mical and spectral methods. Ⅰ and Ⅱ are another two new antihepatitisic constituents of this species, and their biological activity of antihepatitis has been displayed by the pharmacological research. They were named haleniaside (Ⅰ) and demethoxyhaleniaside (Ⅱ).

Key words: Gentianaceae, Halenia elliptica, xanthone, haleniaside, demethoxyhaleniaside