Mallotus is a genus of the spurge family Euphorbiaceae. 2 species are found in tropical Africa and Madagascar. Mallotus apelta (Loureiro) shrubs or small trees 1-6 m tall. Branchlets whitish and brownish stellate-tomentulose when young. Stipules subulate, 2.5-4 mm, deciduous; petiole 5-15 cm, whitish tomentulose; leaf blade broadly ovate, 5-60 × 4-20 cm, papery, abaxially whitish tomentulose and scattered orange glandular-scaly, adaxially glabrescent or sparsely stellate-pilosulose, base truncate or contracted cuneate, rarely slightly cordate, with 2 basal glands, margin repand-denticulate, apex acute or acuminate; basal veins 3.
A new triterpene (1) and six known pentacyclic terpenoids (2-7) were isolated from the methanol extract of the dried leaves from Mallotus apelta. Based on the spectral and chemical evidence, their structures were determined to be 3alpha-hydroxyhop-22(29)-ene (1), hennadiol (2), friedelin (3), friedelanol (4), epifriedelanol (5), taraxerone (6), and epitaraxerol (7).