<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>A combination of HPLC‐MS and HPLC‐NMR techniques has been used to analyse the cytotoxic fractions of the dichloromethane extract of bark of <jats:italic>Stauranthus perforatus</jats:italic>. Six furanocoumarins (byakangelicol, heraclenin, heraclenol, imperatorin, isopimpinellin and xanthotoxin) and nine quinoline alkaloids (two known compounds, veprisine and 5‐hydroxy‐1‐methyl‐2‐phenyl‐4‐quinolone, along with seven novel compounds, stauranthine, 3′,4′‐dihydroxy‐3′,4′‐dihydroveprisine, 3′,4′‐dihydroxy‐3′,4′‐dihydrostauranthine, 3′,6′‐dihydroxy‐3′,6′‐dihydroveprisine, 3′,6′‐dihydroxy‐3′,6′‐dihydrostauranthine, 6′‐hydroxy‐3′‐ketoveprisine and 6′‐hydroxy‐3′‐ketostauranthine) have been identified in the fractions. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.