Phytochemical and chemotaxonomic study of Polygala altomontana (Polygalaceae)

Abstract In this study, 7 compounds were isolated from a hydroalcoholic extract of Polygala altomontana : aurapten ( 1 ), α-spinasterol ( 2 ) dihydrostyryl-2-pyrone ( 3 ) and styryl-2-pyrones ( 4 – 7 ). The styryl-2-pyrone ( 5 ) is new in the literature and although the others are known compounds this is the first time they have been isolated from the species P. altomontana . This is the second species of the genus Polygala to present the accumulation of dihydrostyryl-2-pyrones and styryl-2-pyrones. The chemotaxonomic significance of this data for the Polygala genus was summarized.