Acetylcholinesterase inhibiting triterpenoidal alkaloids from Buxus hyrcana

Buxus hyrcana of Iranian origin has yielded two new triterpenoidal alkaloids (-)-hyrcanine (1) and (+)-homomoenjodaramine (2) along with a previously known compound, moenjodaramine (3), which has been obtained for the first time from this species. Compounds (2) and (3) were found to be potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.