[Determination of oleanolic acid and total saponins in Aralia L].

To search for higher contents of olenolic acid and saponins in Aralia for medicinal use.A HPLC method was developed for the determination of olenolic acid in Aralia. An YWG C-18 column was used and the mobile phase was methanol-water(90:10). The detection wavelength was UV 210 nm. The total saponins were determined by colorimetry.Olenolic acid in root or stems of 13 species and total saponins in whole roots and root barks of 14 species of Aralia were determined. The contents of olenolic acid and total saponins in woody Aralia were higher than those in herbaceous.The contents of olenolic acid in A. decaisneana, A. elata, A. chinocaulis, A. chinensis and A. chinensis var. dasyphylloides are higher than those in other species. Furthermore, A. decaisneana and A. elata are rich in wild resources and thus of importance to the development and utilization of wild plants containing olenolic acid.