Plants of the genus Buxus (family Buxaceae) are known as containing steroid alkaloids [1-3]. Buxus colchica Pojark (Colchian box) (endemic to the Caucasus) has long been used in folk medicine [3]. Our investigations of this species have shown that the plant is rich in pharmacologically active steroid alkaloids. The total level of bases in the flowering phase in the leaves and green branches found by extraction with ethanol amounted to 3%; and, in the fruit-bearing phase, in the leaves to 0.9%, in green shoots to 0.75%, in lignified branches to 1.1% in the capsules of the fruit to 0.56%, and in the seeds to 1.5%. For the purpose of isolating the total alkaloids and individual bases, we used young branches 15-20 cm long collected in the flowering phase. The comminuted air-dry raw material was extracted with 80% ethanol. After appropriate purification, the alkaloids were separated into ether-extracted (2.2%) and chloroform-extracted (0.8%) fractions. The ethereal fraction yielded four bases the identification of which was made from a comparison of their physicochemical constants and spectral characteristics (IR, UV, PMR, ¹³C-NMR, and mass spectroscopy) with information in the literature. Base (I), with the composition C25H32N2O, mp 229-231°C, [α]D²⁰ +90° (c 0.2; chloroform), was isolated when the ethereal fraction was precipitated with a mixture of ethanol and ethyl ether and identified as pseudocyclobuxine D [4]. After separating pseudocyclobuxine D, the mother liquor was evaporated, the residue dissolved in ethyl ether, and subjected to citrate-phosphate polybuffer separation, yielding fractions with pH 7, 6, 5, and 4. Alkaloids (II) and (III) were isolated from the pH 7 fraction by reprecipitation and stepwise crystallization. Base (II), C25H32N2O, mp 236-238°C, [α]D²⁰ +94° (c 0.2; chloroform), proved to be cyclobuxine D [4]. Base (III), mp 167-170°C, [α]D²⁰ +104° (c 0.2; chloroform), mass spectrum M+ 401, is under identification. Base (IV), C27H43N2, was obtained from the pH 6 fraction by reprecipitation with a mixture of hexane and ethyl ether; after recrystallization, mp 187-189°C, [α]D²⁰ -66° (c 0.2; chloroform), and identified as L-cycloprotobuxine C, previously isolated from Buxus sempervirens L. [1, 5]. The investigation of the alkaloids of Buxus colchica is continuing. In the industrial processing of essential-oil crops, multitonnage wastes (extracted meal) accumulated which, hitherto, in spite of the known value of the native plants in folk and scientific medicine, have not found due use as additional materials sources for obtaining drugs. In industry, the essential oil of lavender and of rosemary are obtained by the method of steam distillation, and that of rockrose by extraction with alcohol (resinoid) [3]. We established beforehand that the substances obtained from the extracted meals of these plants are characterized by high antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antiinflammatory activities. In view of this, it appeared of interest to study the amino acid fraction, and the results of this study are given in the present communication. To obtain the water-soluble substances, extraction was carried out in hot water at a temperature of 80-100°C and with 40% ethanol at a ratio of raw material to extractant of 1:10. The organic solvent was distilled off from the ethanolic extracts. The elimination of highmolecular-mass compounds was achieved by precipitation with methanol followed by centrifugation (4000 rpm for 20 min). All the extracts were subjected to sublimation drying [1, 2, 5] in the automatic regime using the apparatuses A 650/40/50 (Czechoslovakia) (freezer) and TU 50.4 (GDR) — evaporator. The choice of solvents was based on the solubility of amino acids, which are best extracted by water and aqueous ethanol [4]. Qualitative amino acid composition was characterized by chromatographic analysis (Leningradskaya S paper, BAW (4:1:2) system, 0.3% ninhydrin), revealing 14 free amino acids. Quantitative levels were determined with an AAA 339 amino analyzer (Czechoslovakia) by standard procedures [4, 5], with calculations via an associated computer. A 12 mg sample of each sublimate dissolved in 2.2 ml sodium citrate buffer was introduced into the analyzer column. The amount of each identified amino acid was determined in nanograms per aliquot, and free amino acid content recalculated to mg% on absolutely dry raw material. Analysis showed qualitative and quantitative compositions varied with solvent: lavender and rock rose extracts had 16 amino acids, rosemary 15 (lacking methionine). Fractions of the same material (native plant vs. meal) sometimes differed by 1-2 amino acids (e.g., aqueous lavender extracts lacked serine, present in ethanolic fractions; aqueous rockrose meal extracts had glutamic acid, absent in aqueous plant extracts). Free amino acid contents: aqueous vs. alcoholic extracts — rosemary: 167.24 vs. 72.84 mg%; lavender: 286.72 vs. 191.45 mg%; rock rose: 512.91 vs. 552.62 mg%. The high amino acid content in native rock rose raw material (1042.29 mg%) is notable.