Two New Quinochalcone Yellow Pigments from Carthamus tinctorius and Ca2+ Antagonistic Activity of Tinctormine1)

Two new quinochalcone C-glycosides, hydroxysafflor yellow A (la) and tinctormine (2a), were isolated from Carthamus tinctorius L. (Compositae) together with carthamin, safflor yellow B and safflomin C. The structures of la and 2a have been determined by spectroscopic methods including heteronuclear multiple-bond multiple-quantum coherence and linked scan FAB-MS. The latter compound (2a) was demonstrated to have potent Ca2+ antagonistic action. © 1993, The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan. All rights reserved.