Extracts of the roots of Tinospora capillipes Gagnep. (Menispermaceae) afforded the quaternary protoberberine alkaloids palmatine, jatrorrhizine, columbamine, stepharanine and dehydrodiscretamine and the quaternary aporphine alkaloids menisperine and magnoflorine; The antiinflammatory activity of borjatriol (a diterpenoid isolated from Sideritis mugronensis Borj a) was tested using the cotton pellet-granuloma assay. The compound inhibited the granuloma weight and the serum lysozyme activity in a dose-dependently way. The determination of this enzyme has allowed us to distinguish between an irritant (carrageenan) which reduces the granuloma weight and antiinflammatory substances (phenylbutazone and borjatriol).