Seven new triterpenoids (1-7) and 36 known compounds were isolated from the root bark of Maytenus retusa. Their structures were determined by 1D and 2D spectroscopic studies. Several compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against the human tumor cell lines HL-60 and MCF-7. Some of them were cytotoxic, with IC50 values ranging between 0.2 and 4.7 μM. © 2010 The American Chemical Society and American Society of Pharmacognosy.