Highly oxygenated ecdysteroids, (24R)-11 alpha,20-24-trihydroxyecdysone and 11 alpha,20,26-trihydroxyecdysone, have been isolated from the polar fraction of Vitex canescens root bark. The latter exists as two C-25 epimers which could be separated by reversed-phase HPLC. (C) Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.