Ginsenosides are main active ingredients in Asian ginseng and American ginseng.

To date, more than 40 ginsenosides are found. Ginsenosides are denoted by -RX (note: X=0、a1、a2、a3、b1、b2、b3、c、d、e、f、g1、g2、g3、h1、h2、h3、s1、s2). In addition, F11 belongs to pseudoginsenoside saponin.

According to their mother ring structure, ginsenosides can be classified into 3 types:

• oleanolic acid type
• dammarane type
• Ocotillol type

Dammarane type saponins account for 70% of total saponins in ginseng, and it can be further categorized into protopanaxadiol-type and protopanaxatriol-type, their mother ring structures are listed below.

Chemical processing or hydrolysis in GI tract will convert above two types of ginsenosides into aglycone protopanaxadiol (PPD) and protopanaxatriol (PPT).