Ginseng contains a complex mixture of triterpenoid saponin glycosides, which are either tetra-cyclic triterpenes based on steroidal skeleton or pentacyclic triterpenoids structurally related to oleanolic acid. Termed ginsenosides by Japanese workers and panaxosides by the Russian researchers, these are derivatives of two main aglycones, protopanaxadiol and protopanaxatriol. Over 30 ginsenosides have been characterized from different varieties of ginseng. Some of the ginsenosides of P. quiquifolium are the same as those of the Chinese and Korean drug; others appear to differ. The roots also contain therapeutically active high molecular weight polysaccharides and acetylenic compounds. The saponin contents of P. notoginseng (about 12%) and P. quinquifolium (about 6%) are generally higher than that of P. ginseng (1.5%–2%).