Abstract
Activity-directed fractionation of the 95% ethanol extract of the berries of Aralia spinosa L. (Araliaceae) led to the isolation of cis-6-octadecenoic acid (1) (petroselinic acid) as the major bioactive compound. This is the first report of this compound being isolated from the genus Aralia and of its toxicity. In this paper we reported the complete spectral data of 1.