Three new saponins, zanhasaponins, A, B, and C, were isolated from the MeOH extract of the root bark of Zanha africana and were, respectively, identified by spectroscopic methods as 3-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-2 beta,16 alpha-dihydroxyolean-12-ene-23,28- dioic acid 28-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->2)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside (1); 3-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-2 beta,16 alpha-dihydroxyolean-12-ene- 23,28-dioic acid 28-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl(1-->2)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->2)-alpha-L- rhamnopyranoside (2); and 3-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-2 beta,16 alpha-dihydroxyolean-12-ene- 23,28-dioic acid 28-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl(1-->3)-beta-D-xylopyranosyl (1-->2)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->2)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside (3). These saponins proved to be effective in a model of topical inflammation induced by phorbol ester. The cyclitols quebrachitol, pinitol, and bornesitol were also identified.