Betulinic acid, oleanolic acid and ursolic acid have been modified at the C-3 position to cinnamate-based esters and in vitro antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Ra has been determined. The results indicated that modification of the parent structures of betulinic acid, oleanolic acid and ursolic acid to the p-coumarate and, in the case of the latter two triterpenes, the ferulate