The steam distillate of the green leaves of Perilla frutescens has broad antimicrobial activity assumed from its use as food and food additives. The steam distillate main consists of perillaldehyde, limonene, beta-caryophyllene, alpha-bergamotene, and linalool. The most abundant, perillaldehyde, inhibits moderately a broad range of both bacteria and fungi. Perillaldehyde works in synergy with polygodial not only against fungi but also against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Synergistic effects are evaluated by the fractional inhibition concentration method.

A new phenanthrene lactam, designated as velutinam (10-amino-8-hydroxy-3,4-dimethoxyphenanthrene-1-carboxylic acid lactam), was isolated from an extract of the bark of Goniothalamus velutinus, along with aristolactam-BII (10-amino-3,4-dimethoxyphenanthrene-1-carboxylic acid lactam). Their structures were established from spectral data.

A novel hydrolyzable tannin, chinquapinic acid [3], was isolated from the MeOH extract of the epidermal powder found on the leaf underside of Chrysolepis sempervirens in addition to two known tannins, vescalagin [1] and castalagin [2]. The structure of chinquapinic acid was established through spectroscopic data and auto-conversion to vescalagin. Scanning electron microscopy showed the yellowish powder to be crystal-like in appearance. These tannins are first examples for this class of compounds found as exudates on a plant surface.