Plants of the genus Taraxacum Wigg., have long been used as medicinal herbs. A phytochemical investigation of the aerial parts of Taraxacum bessarabicum (Hornem.) Hand.- Mazz. subsp. bessarabicum (Hornem.) Hand.-Mazz. (Asteraceae) yielded two coumarins [esculetin (1), cichoriin (2)], three flavonoids [ luteolin (3), luteolin 7-O-ß-D-glucoside (4), gossypetin (5)] and six phenolic acids and their derivatives [ p-coumaric acid (6), caffeic acid (7), ferulic acid (8), chlorogenic acid methyl ester (9), 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (10), 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid methyl ester (11)]. Their structures were established conclusively by UV, ESI-MS, 1-D and 2-D NMR spectra analyses and comparison with literature data. The presence of these compounds has been shown for the first time from this species. This is the first report of the isolation of compound 5 from the genus Taraxacum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]