Abstract: AIM To study the metabolic process of ginsenoside Rb₁(G-Rb₁) and panaxadiol saponins (PDS) by fungi. METHODS Ten strains of fungi were incubated with G-Rb₁ and PDS at a certain temperature with shaking. A portion was taken out at different time and mixed up with butanol. The butanol extract was analysed by thin layer chromatography (TLC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electrospray ionazition mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). RESULTS It was found that there were ginsenoside-Rd (G-Rd), ginsenoside-F₂(G-F₂), compound K (CK) and 20(S) protopanaxadiol (Ppd) metabolites beside the prodrug G-Rb₁ induced by fungi (No.1,2,3,6,8,9). CONCLUSION The six strains of fungi have different degrees of ability to metabolize G Rb 1 and PDS. The possible metabolic process could be as follows: G-Rb₁ (or PDS)→G-Rd→G-F₂→CK→Ppd.