Objective To establish a method for analyzing total polysaccharide content and its monosaccharide composition in the caulis polygoni multiflori mixture. Methods The polysaccharides of the caulis polygoni multiflori mixture were extracted by water-extraction and alcohol-precipitation. After the treatment with phenol-sulfuric acid, the content of total polysaccharides in the preparation was determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. In addition, after the polysaccharide was hydrolyzed into monosaccharides wtih trifluoroacetic acid, the hyrolysate was derivatized with PMP, and then the PMP derivates of monosaccharides were analyzed by HPLC method. Yilite krosmasil C₁₈(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm) was used at 30 ℃. Acetonitrile-0.1% NaH₂PO₄ (pH=6.8) (16:84) was the moblie phase with a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. The detecting wavelength was at 250 nm. The injection volume was 20 μl. Results concentration of D-anhydrous glucose in the range of 21 ~ 105 μg/ml had a good linear relationship with the absorbance. The linear regression equation was A= 0.007x+0.0105, r=0.9982. The average recovery rate was (100.45±1.57)% (n=6). The average contents of total polysaccharides in four batches of samples were 14.24, 21.09, 17.85 and 18.17 mg/ml. The polysaccharide of the caulis polygoni multiflori mixture mainly consisted of D-mannose, D-glucosamine D-hydrochloride, D-Galacturonic acid, D-glucose, galactose, L-arabinose. The monosaccharides peak area ratios were about 9.10:0.26:1.00:3.02:4.14:2.12. Conclusion The method is accurate and reliable, and can be used for the determination of total content of polysaccharides and the analysis of monosaccharide composition in the preparation.