[Chemical constituents of Chinese red ginseng]

The chemical constituents of Chinese red ginseng (Panax ginseng) were investigated. The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by silca gel, ODS, and Sephedex LH-20, column chromatography, and preparative HPLC. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectra data. Fourteen compounds were isolated and identified as: notoginsenoside R2 (1), 20(S) -ginsenoside Rg3 (2), 20(R) -ginsenoside Rg3 (3), 20 (S)-ginsenoside Rg2 (4), 20(R) -ginsenosideRg2 (5), 20 (S)-ginsenoside Rh1 (6), 20(R) -ginsenoside Rh1 (7), ginsenoside Rh4 (8), -Ro (9), -Rb1 (10), -Rg1 (11), Re-(12), Rf (13), maltol (14). Compounds 1, 4, 6, were obtained from red ginseng for the first time. Compounds 2 and 3, 4 and 5-7 were enantiomers respectively, enantiomers 6 and 7 were isolated as monomer for the first time.