Abstract: From the rhizome of Panax japonicus C. A. Meyer var. angustifolius (Burk.) Cheng et Chu collected in Yunnan, 10 triterpenoid saponins were isolated with SiO2 chromatograph and reversed phase chromatograph. The saponins were identified as ginsenoside Ro (1), Rd (7), Rg1 (8), Rhl (9), notoginsenoside R1 (6), chikusetsusaponin Ⅳ(4), Ⅳa(2), zingibroside R1(3), oleanolic acid 28-β-D-glucoside (10) and oleanolic acid 3-β-D-glucuronoside (5) respectively, by means of 13C-NMR, MS of acetate, and chemical methods, as well as compared with authentic samples. Among the rest, (5), a prosaponin of ginsenoside Ro (1) was firstly isolation from species of genus Panax. The fact that saponin constituents of rhizome of var. angustifolius was similar to P. japonicus and var. major, further supported the view that three taxes belonged to a variational limit of one species.

Key words: Panax japonicus var. angustifolius, saponin