Compound 1 was isolated from the methanol extract as fine colorless needles, which appeared as a dark quenching spot on TLC plate under UV light at 254 nm. The compound 1 gave a pseudo mol. ion at 207 (m+ + H) corresponding to mol. wt 206 and formula C12H14O3. The structure was established
as ethyl p-methoxy-trans-cinnamate by comparing the spectral data (1H NMR) with those reported for this compound10,11. The structure was further substantiated by NOESY, COSY, HSQC and HMBC experiments. This is the first report of this compound from Rubiaceae family