Xanthones Content in Swertia multicaulis D. Don from Nepal

The medicinal plant D. Don was collected in Rasuwa District (Nepal) and the xanthone content of its ethyl acetate extracts was studied. The total amount of xanthones in determined by HPLC reaches almost 13 g of xanthones per 1 kg of dry matter. The identification of xanthones in was achieved by a combination of HPLC, LC⁻MS and LC⁻NMR. The final assignment of the individual chemical structures was provided by NMR, supported by preparative HPLC. In eight chromatographic peaks, four major xanthones were identified—1,3-dihydroxy-5,8-dimethoxyxanthone, 1-hydroxy-3,5,8-trimethoxyxanthone, bellidifolin (1,5,8-tri-hydroxy-3-methoxyxanthone), and decussatin (1-hydroxy-3,7,8-trimethoxyxanthone).