Four new butanolides, akolactone A, akolactone B, litseakolide A and litseakolide B, along with four known butanolides, litsenolide B-2, litsenolide C-1, litsenolide C-2 and hamabiwalactone A were isolated from the stem bark of Litsea akoensis. Their structures were elucidated from spectral evidence. These structures were elucidated from spectral evidence. These butanolides showed cytoxic activity against P-388, KB16, A 549 and HT-29 cancer cell lines. (C) 1988 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.