Operculina turpethum (Linn.) Silva Manso, syn. Ipomoea turpethum (L.) R.Br. (Convolvulaceae) is a perennial herb with tuberous roots used as purgative, anthelmintic and febrifuge and to treat abdominal disorders, ascite, leucoderma, itches and joint pain. Phytochemical investigation of methanolic extract of the roots led to isolation of new lanostenoids and steroids characterised as 3α,7α-epoxy lanost-5,25-dien-3b-ol (1), lanost-5,25-dien-3a-ol (2), 4b-hydroxy-3α,7α-epoxy stigmast-(Z)-5,22-dien-3b-tetradecanoate (3), 3α,7α-epoxy stigmast-5,20-dien-3b- hexadecanoate (4), 12b-hydroxy-3α,7α-epoxy lanost-(Z)-5,20,22-trien-26-oic acid-3b-tetradecanoate (5) and 3α,7α- epoxy stigmast-(Z)-5,20,22-trien-28-oic acid-3b-hexadecanoate (6) along with known compounds D-glucuronic acid (7), D-galacturonic acid (8), sucrose (9) and D-b-rhamnose (10). The strictures of these phytoconstituents have been established on the basis of spectral data analysis and chemical reactions
