The major flavonoids of the seed of Tephrosia apollinea

A total of six complex 7-oxygenated-8-prenylflavones have been isolated from the seeds of Tephrosia apollinea and identified as the diastereoisomers (?)-semiglabrin and (?)-pseudosemiglabrin, (+)-glabratephrin, (+)-glabratephrinol, appollinine (7-methoxy-8-[3″-(2″,5″-dihydro-5″,5″-dimethyl-2″-oxofuryl)]-flavone and lanceolatin-A. The use of ¹³C NMR in the structure elucidation of flavones of this type is discussed. The potential chemotaxonomic value of Tephrosia flavones of the type isolated from T. apollinea is explored.