A new simple iridoid, purpureoside 1, with nepetalactone-type structur
e and a sugar moiety linked to the cyclopentene ring, has been isolate
d from Linaria purpurea. The presence in the plant of antirrhinoside a
nd 5-O-beta-glucosylantirrhinoside was confirmed and antirrhide, 10-O-
beta-glucosylaucubin and 6-beta-hydroxyantirrhide were also identified
. In the view of isolation of compounds structurally related to 1 from
other Linaria species, these iridoids appear possible chemotaxonomic
markers of the genus.