Two new alkaloids, 8-methoxycanthin-6-one and 3-methoxycanthin-2,6-dione, were isolated from the EtOH extract of the bark of Simaba cuspidata Spruce ex Engl. Elucidation of the structure of the latter compound included 13C NMR spectral comparison with 2-methoxypyridine-N-oxide and N-methoxy-2-pyridone. © 1980.