We visited Mongolia in the summer of 1999 and again in the summer of 2000, and investigated the traditional and natural medicines of this country. Mongolian traditional medicine is classified into seven categories, namely, massage, acupuncture, herbal medicine, dietary cures, aromatherapy, phlebotomy and sutra recitation. Herbal medicines, as well as acupuncture and massage, are the principal remedies. These remedies are based on Tibetan traditional medicine, which is derived from Indian traditional medicine. In both rural and urban areas, the Mongolian people use many herbs and herbal prescriptions to prevent and cure acute or chronic diseases. Important herbal plant sources, such as the Ephedra and Glycyrrhiza species, are abundant. Since the abandonment of socialism, traditional medicine has made a rapid comeback and is now a popular and important remedy in Mongolia.

Abstract The genus Saxifraga, one of the largest genera of the Saxifragaceae family, comprises 540 species and is distributed widely in mountainous and rocky regions, with 12 species being found in Mongolia. Saxifraga spinulosa Adams is a perennial herbaceous plant common in mainland China, Russia, and Mongolia, inhabiting stony marginal terrain. The isolated compounds from Saxifraga spinulosa were screened for DPPH radical-scavenging activity, with Trolox as a positive control (IC₅₀ 23.3 µM). All the new glucosides exhibited potent activities (IC₅₀ 19.0–72.9 µM). A crude ex- tract of S. spinulosa has been reported to display the highest DPPH radical-scavenging activity among numerous Mongolian medicinal plants, which may now be attributed, at least in part, to the presence of the new flavonoid and galloyl group-containing isolated compounds.