This work describes the identification of some of the minor chemical constituents of "espinheira santa" (Maytenus ilicifolia and Maytenus aquifolium, Celastraceae), a medicinal plant widely utilized in Brazil. By using high resolution gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HRGC-MS), it was possible to identify mainly triterpenoids and steroids in "espinheira santa", most of them reported for the first time in both Maytenus species.
Maytenus aquifolium Martius; Maytenus ilicifolia Martius; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HRGC-MS); triterpene analysis
