Three triterpenoids isolated from Neolitseapulchella, have been proved by n.m.r. and mass spectral data, and chemical correlations with one another and with cycloneolitsin (3p-methoxy-24,24-dimethyl-9,19-cyclolanost-25-ene) to be 3~-methoxy-24,24-dimethyl-lanosta-9(11).25-diene (I), 24,24-dimethyl-lanosta-9(11),25-dien-3-one (11), and 24chydroxy-3 pmet hoxy-24,2 5d i met h y I -1 a no st -9 ( 1 1 )e n e ( 111).THE isolation of compound (I) C33H& from Neolitsea pulcheZla was first reported in 1967 when it was indicated by spectroscopic evidence to be the methyl ether of a tetracyclic triterpene alcohol, C3,H5,0, which contained two double bonds. It was later discovered that chromatography of the light petroleum extract of the stems of the same plant yielded besides (I) in the earlier fractions, a second compound C3,H5,0 (11), m.p. 168-171", [a], +61.0°, followed by a third compound C33H5802The n.m.r. spectra of both (I) and (11) indicate the presence of an isopropenyl group [S 4.68 (ZH, m) and 1.68 p.p.m. (3H, s)], and those of all the three compounds a trisubstituted double bond [8 5-23 (lH, m)]. Both (I) and (111) were shown to contain an equatorial methoxy-group2 [a 3.36 (3H, s) and 2-57-2-76 p.p.m. (IH, ca. q)], and (111) a tertiary hydroxy-function [6 1-36 (lH, s, exchangeable) and no multiplet signal at 8 3-0-4.0 p.p.m.1. (111), m.p. 272-275", [a]= +52.0". Each of the three compounds gave a positive Liebermann-Burchardt reaction.The i.r. spectra of all three compounds indicate the presence of a trisubstituted double bond (vmz 3050, 862, 814 cm-l), those of (I) and (11) a vinylidene group (3090, 1640, 890 cm-l), and that of (111) an equatorial ether linkage (1100 cm-l) t [similar to that of (I)], and a tertiary hydroxy-group (3625 cm-1). The presence of a carbonyl group in a six-membered ring in (11) is revealed by an absorption at 1710 cm-l. Taken in CS,. The value 1090 cm-1 in ref. 1 should be 1100 crn-l.Ritchie et aL3 recently isolated from Neolitsea dealbata a new triterpene cycloneolitsin, C,H5,0, and established its structure as 3~-rnethoxy-24,24-dimethyl-9,19-cyclolanost-25-ene (IV). Since compounds (1)-(111) were obtained from a species of the same genus, it was probable that they were closely related to (IV), since all of these compounds were unusual CS2 triterpenoids. The remarkable difference is that (IV) contains a cyclopro-
