Five sesquiterpenes, dehydrocostus lactone (1), santamarine (5), β-cyclocostunolide (6), 4α-hydroxy-4β-methyldihydrocostol (7) and 10α-hydroxyl-artemisinic acid (9), along with four other compounds, β-sitosterol (2), daucosterol (3), 5-hydroxy-methyl-furaldehyde (4), and trans-syingin (8), were isolated and identified from the roots of Saussurea lappa (Compositae). Based on previous reports and our study, sesquiterpene derivatives are common and characteristic constituents of the genus Saussurea. Among the nine compounds obtained, 9 is a new sesquiterpene. It is an artemisinic acid derivative, whose structural skeleton has not been reported for Saussurea species before, but artemisinic acid is a common compound in another Compositae species, Artemisia annua. Dehydrocostus lactone (1) is present in high-content and is a possible bioprecursor of 10α-hydroxyartemisinic acid (9).
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