STUDIES ON SAPONINS OF RHIZOMES OF PANAX ZINGIBERENSIS WU ET FENG

Six triterpenoid saponins were isolated from the rhizomes of Panax zingiberensis Wu et Feng, a folk medicine in Yunnan, China. Among these, five were identical with ginsenoside Ro (1) (yield 2.10%), Rg₁ (5) (0.59%), Rh₁ (6) (trace), chikusetsusaponin Ⅳ (2) (0.28%) and Ⅳa (3) (0.025%), respectively. Another saponin was named zingiberoside R₁ whose structure was elucidated to be oleanolic acid 3-o-β-Dglucopyranosyl (1-2)-0-D-glucuronopyranoside (4)(0.078%).