[Dynamic variation of saikosaponin contents]

In this paper both the cultivated and wild Bupleurum chinense and B. scorzonerifolium from northeast China of different growing periods and ages were analyzed for the contents of saikosaponins a and d by HPLC and total saikosaponins by spectrophotometry. The results indicated that the saikosaponin content of B. chinense was higher than that of B. scorzonerifolium, and that the saikosaponin contents of the cultivated species were higher than or almost equal to those of the wild ones. It was also found that both the cultivated and wild B. chinense and B. scorzonerifolium featured the highest contents of saikosaponins in the nutrition-growing period.