The antimicrobially active EtOH extracts of Maytenus heterophylla yielded a new dihydroagarofuran alkaloid,1 beta -actoxy-9 alpha- benzoyloxy-2 beta ,6 alpha -dinicotinoyloxy-beta -dihydroagarofuran, together with the known compounds beta -amyrin, maytenfolic acid, 3 alpha -hydroxy-2-oxofriedelane- 20 alpha -carboxylic acid, lup-20(29)-ene-1 beta ,3 beta -diol, (-)4-methylepigallocatechin, and (-)-epicatechin. In addition, beta -amyrin, (-)-epicatechin and (-) 4'-methylepigallocatechin were isolated from Maytenus arbutifolia. The structure elucidation of the isolated compounds was based primarily on 1D and 2D NMR analyses, including HMQC, HMBC, and NOESY correlations. Maytenfolic acid showed moderate antimicrobial activity by inhibiting the growth of Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.