Studies on"Inchinko."I. : Capillarisin, a New Choleretic Substance

A new choleretic substance, capillarisin (I), was isolated from the herb of Artemisia capillaris Thunb. (Japanese name, "Inchinko" ?? 〓 ?? ) by tracing the activity in rats. By heating with 1% NaOH or H2SO4 in methanol, I was cleaved to p-hydroquinone and a compound (XI) or p-hydroquinone and the compound (XII). Infrared and ultraviolet spectra suggested that I and XI are chromone derivatives and XII is a coumarin derivative. Positions of the functional groups in XI and XII were determined by direct comparison with the synthetic samples, and the structure of I was established as 2-(p-hydroxy-phenoxy)-6-methoxy-5, 7-dihydroxychromone.