Abstract

Extraction of the dried leaves of Harrisonia perforata (Blanco) Merr ., (Simaroubaceae) has yielded a novel tetranortriterpenoid ( limonoid ), perforatin (1), of the obacunol class. The structure was determined by a combination of spectroscopic analysis and the X-ray method. Comments are made on the stereochemistry of the related limonoid harrisonin.