RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study chemical constituents contained in Desmodium caudatum.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The chemical compounds were separated by using such chromatographic methods as macroporous resin, Sephadex LH-20, ODS and normal phase silicagel column, and their structures were identified by spectroscopic data analysis.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Fifteen compounds were separated and identified as stigmasterol (1), beta-sitosterol (2), citrusinol (3), hibiscone A (4), yukovanol (5), kenusanone I (6), neophellamuretin (7), desmodol (8), erythrotriol (9), hibiscone D (10), kaempferol (11), 8-prenylquercetin (12), leachianone G (13), 5,7,4'-trihydroxy-dihydroflavonol (14), and 4H-1-benzopyran-4-one, 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl) -2, 3-dihydro-3,5,7-trihydroxy-8-( 3-methyl-2-butenyl) -, (2R-trans)-(9CI) (15).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>All of the compounds were separated from D. caudatum for the first time except compound 8.</p>