Aconitine, mesaconitine, and a new alkaloid, which has been called altaconitine, have been isolated from the total alkaloids of the epigeal part of Aconitum altaicum. Altaconitine has the structure of 8β-acetoxy-14α-benzoyloxy-2β,3α,13β,-15α-tetrahydroxy-1α,6α, 16β-trimethoxy-4β-methoxymethy-N-ethylaconitan, which was established on the basis of a study of IR, PMR,13C NMR, and mass spectra and by the x-ray structural method. © 1993 Plenum Publishing Corporation.