One new flavonoid, named (R)-2-hydroxynaringenin (1), along with fifteen known compounds, including six flavonoids (2-7), six lignans (8-13), two phenolic glycosides (14-15) and one alkaloid (16) were isolated from the roots of Zizyphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H. F. Chou. Their structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic evidence, including 1D and 2D NMR, circular dichroism (CD) curve analysis, and by comparison with literature data. Compounds 2, 3 and 8-16 were found in Z. jujuba Mill. var. spinosa for the first time, while compounds 8, 10 and 13-15 were new to the Rhamnaceae family. In addition, the chemotaxonomic significance of the isolates was discussed in this paper. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.