[Isolation and identification of minor bioactive saponins from the leaves of Panax notoginseng].

The minor bioactive saponins of the total saponin from the leaves of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen. were separated and purified by column chromatographies on silica gel and thin layer gel. Four compounds were identified as: ginsenoside C-K (I) [20 (S) -protopanaxadiol 20-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside], ginsenoside-Rh1 (II) [20 (S) -protopanaxatriol-6-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside], ginsenoside-Mc (III) [20 (S)-protopanaxadiol 20-O-alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl (1 --> 6) -D-glucopyranoside] and notoginsenoside-Fe (IV) [20(S) -protopanaxadiol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosido-20-O-alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl(1 --> 6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside]. Compound I was isolated from the leaves of Panax notoginseng for the first time.