Abstract: A method for the isolation of sesquiterpenols from the Japanese Cedar, Cryptomeria japonica D.Don　by preparative reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was established. The preparation of the sesquiterpenols was carried out on a preparative liquid chromatograph with a YWC-Pack C18 column, and the mobile phase was isopropanol-methanol-hexane-water (50∶35∶10∶5,v/v) at a flow rate of 5.0mL/min. The two sesquiterpenols, (-)-cubebol and (+)-2,7(14),10-bisabolatrien-1-ol-4-one, were separated by liquid chromatography and identified by spectroscopic analyses (ultraviolet (UV), infrared (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS)). The purities of the two sesquiterpenols were 98.7% and 99.1%, respectively.

Key words: chemical constituents of sesquiterpenols , Cryptomeria japonica D.Don , preparative high performance liquid chromatography