Esters of four new (hypoglaunine A, B, C and D) and five known sesquiterpene polyalcohol esters have been isolated from the root barks of Tripterygium hypoglaucum. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated at 1,2,5,7,8-pentaacetoxy-11-furanoly-4-hydroxy-3,15[2'-hydroxy-2',3'-dimethyl-3'(3 -carboxy-4 -pyridyl)-probanoic acid]dicarbolactone-dihydroagarofuran, 1,5,7,8,11-pentaacetoxy-2-furanoyl-4-hydroxy-3,15[2'-hydroxy-2',3'-dimethyl-3'(3 -carboxy-4 -pyridyl)-propanoic acid]dicarbolactone-dihydroagarofuran, 1,5,7,8,11-pentaacetoxy-2-benzoyl-4-hydroxy-3,15[2'-hydroxy-2',3'-dimethyl-3'(3 -carboxy-4 -pyridyl)-propanoic acid]dicarbolactone-dihydroagarofuran and 1,2,5,7,8-pentaacetoxy-11-furanoyl-4-hydroxy-3,15[2',3'-dimethyl-3'(3 -carboxy-4 -pyridyl)-propanoic acid]dicarbolactone-dihydroagarofuran by spectroscopic means. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.