In order to determine on the anti-complement activity of triterpenes, following eleven triterpenoides were isolated from the fruits of the Zizyphus jujuba MILL: ceanothane-type triterpenes: colubrinic acid (1), zizyberenalic acid (11); lupane-type triterpenes: alphitolic acid (2), 3-O-cis-p-coumaroyl alphitolic acid (3), 3-O-trans-p-coumaroyl alphitolic acid (4), betulinic acid (7), betulonic acid (9); and oleanane-type triterpenes: 3-O-cis-p-coumaroyl maslinic acid (5), 3-O-trans-p-coumaroyl maslinic acid (6), oleanolic acid (8), oleanonic acid (10). These compounds were examined for their anti-complement activity against the classical pathway of the complement system. Among them, compounds 5, 6, and 8 exhibited significant anti-complement activity with IC(50) values of 101.4, 143.9, and 163.4 microM, respectively, whereas the ceanothane-type and the lupane-type triterpenes were inactive. This suggests that the oleanane-structure plays an important role in inhibiting the hemolytic activity of human serum against erythrocytes.