Abstract: Eleven compounds were isolated from the South China Sea gorgonian Muricella flexuosa by meanings of silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and recrystallization. Their structures were identified by physicochemical properties, spectroscopic analysis and comparison with the data of literatures. These 11 compounds were caffeine (1), 1,7-diethylhypoxnathine (2), 1-methylhypoxnathine (3), 7,9-dimethy-6-(N-methyl)purine-8-one (4), 7-ethyladenine (5), 1,7-diethylpurine-6,8-dione (6), uracil (7), thymine (8), 2'-deoxyuridine (9), 2'-deoxythymidine (10), 3-ethyl-2'-deoxythymidine (11). Compounds 2-6 and 11 were obtained from the genus Muricella for the first time, and 4 and 11 were isolated from nature for the first time.

Key words: gorgonian Muricella flexuosa, chemical constituent, structure identification, purine, pyrimidine