Lassak and McCarthy(1983) warn that the haemolytic saponins detected in Pittosporum angustifolium may be harmful if
topical applications are too frequent within a short period of time, but they also specify that the same active compounds may contribute to the medical efficacy if applications are made sparingly. The active components are potentially the pentacyclic
triterpenoid compounds pittasapogenin (R1-barrigenol) and phyllyrigenin (Lassak and McCarthy,1983) but their contribution
awaits confirmation