Dried rhizome of Bupleurum falcatum L. was extracted with hot alcohol and purification of the neutral portion of the non-saponifiable matter yielded a sterol of m.p. 166-168°. This sterol and its acetate, benzoate, and p-nitrobenzoate, coincided well with spinasterol and its derivatives. Its steryl acetate was catalytically reduced in an acid medium to stenyl acetate and, from the stenol and stenyl benzoate derived from it, the original sterol was confirmed as α-spinasterol.
