Abstract: The total ginsenoside was extracted from the stems and leaves of Panax ginseng and then hydrolyzed with β-glycosidase.Eight compounds were isolated from the hydrolysate,and identified as 20(S)-dammarane-3β,6α,12β,20,25-pentol(1),ginsenoside compound K(2),ginsenoside F₁(3),ginsenoside Rh₁₃ (4), ginsenoside Rg₂(5),3β,20(S)-dihydroxydammar-24-en-12β,23β-epoxy-20-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(6),ginsenoside Rg₁(7) and ginsenoside Re(8), respectively. Among them,compound 1 is an unknown dammarane sapogenin.Compound 2 was the only protopanaxadiol-type ginsenoside,suggesting that the protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides in the total extract from the stems and leaves of P.ginseng was converted into ginsenoside compound K by β-glycosidase.

Key words: stems and leaves of Panax ginseng, β-glycosidase;protopanaxadiol-type ginsenoside;ginsenoside compound K