Dicaffeoylquinic Acids from the Aerial Parts of Artemisia ciniformis Krasch. & Popov ex Poljakov

Artemisia ciniformis (A. ciniformis) belongs to the genus Artemisia and grows at northeast of Iran. The current phytochemical study was carried out on the most potent extract in cell-free antioxidant assays. Hydroethanolic extract of the aerial parts was fractionated using vacuum-liquid chromatography (VLC). The selected fraction from the previous cell-free antioxidant study was purified by semi-preparative HPLC. The structures of isolated compounds were identified using one- and two-dimensional NMR and ESIMS techniques. Three identified compounds in this study were the known isomers of dicaffeoylquinic acid (DCQ), including 3,5- DCQ (isochlorogenic acid A), 3,4-DCQ (isochlorogenic acid B) and 4,5-DCQ (isochlorogenic acid C). The outstanding free radical scavenging potential in the hydroethanolic extract of A. ciniformis might be partly related to the presence of isochlorogenic acid derivatives.