A number of new natural products have been isolated from indigenous medicinal plants as well as from marine plants and animals. These include indole alkaloids, steroidal alkaloids, sesquiterpenes, diter-penes saponins etc. The structures of these compounds have been elucidated with the help of modern spectroscopic techniques such as mass spectroscopy (E.I., C.I., F.D., +Ve FAB, -Ve FAB etc.) and 2D NMR spectroscopy (2D J-resolved, COSY-45,0NOSEY, DEPT, hetero, COSY, Long range heterocosy, INADEQUATE, etc.). The structures have been confirmed in a few compounds by X-ray crystallography. © 1989 IUPAC