Fourteen compounds were isolated from the roots of Cynanchum auriculatum and their chemical structures were identified as ${eta}$-sitosterol (1), acetovanillone (2), p-hydroxyacetophenone (3), 2,4-dihydroxyacetophenone (4), 2,5-dihydroxyacetophenone (5), cynandione A (6), methyleugenol (7), daucosterol (8), Succinic acid (9), cynauriculoside A (10), wilfoside C3N (11), wilfoside C1N (12), wilfoside K1N (13) and wilfoside C1G (14). Among them, compounds 2-5 were isolated from this plant for the first time. And 2, 5-dihydroxyacetophenone (5) showed the most potent inhibitory effect on melanogenesis in B-16 mouse melanoma cell lines with $IC_{50}$ value of $20;{mu}M$.