ABSTRACT
A large number of different tetracyclic and pentacyclic triterpenoids, together with their derivatives, have been identified in higher plants, fungi, algae and marine animals. In higher plants, oleananes and ursanes, which often occur together, and lupanes occur in a wide range of fami lies. Lanostanes are common in fungi, and cycloartanes in higher plants. Most of the cucurbitanes are found in the family of Cucurbitaceae (Goad and Akihisa 1997). For extraction, separation, and structural elucidation of triterpenoids, refer to the literature (Goad and Akihisa 1997).
