Sarsasapogenin is one of constituents possessing physiological activity in the rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge.The content of sarsasapogenin during different developmental stages of the plant as detected by gas chromatography has been found to be at its highest in April and May, being 3.17% and 2.73% respectively and at its lowest in March, amounting to 1.09% only.In our experiment sarsasapogenin level of Xilin Zhimu produced in Xilin in Hebei Province reached 3.10%, which was higher than that of those produced in other areas. Especially, in rhizomes at two years of growth the content of sarsasapogenin reached the level of 4.19%, which was higher than that of those at one or three years.

In our experiment, zhimusapgenin, zhimusapogenin A, zhimusaponin B, zhimu-flavone and ?-sitosterol were isolated from the fresh rhizoma of XiLinzhimu (Anemarrhena asphcdeloides Bge.)produced in XiLin in Hebei Province and collected in October 1980.They are isolated and purified by means of colum chromatography.The structure of zhimusapogenin is assigned as sarsasapogenin by mp, TLC, chemical identification and spectroscopic analysis (UV,IR and MS)with an authentic sample of sarsasapogenin. Zhimusaponin A is a water-insoluble steroid saponin which was isolated as colorless needle. According to chemical and spectral data, zhimusaponin A is assigned as sarsasapogenin-3-O- ? -D-glucosyl-(1-2)-O- ?-D-galactopyranoside,i.e.Timosaponin AIII as reported befor.Zhimusaponin B is a water-soluble steroid saponin which was isolated as amorphous powder.By UV, IR, elemental analysis, quantitative analysis of the complete hy-drolytic products and cleaved with emulsin, it is shown that zhimusaponin B may be a new steroid saponin found in this plant and it's composition is zhimusaponin A having another two moles of glucose, and this two moles of glucose are conjoined at zhimusaponin A with ?-linkage.The zhimuflavone was identified to be known mangiferin previously obtained from this plant by TLC, PC, UV, IR, PMR and it's chemical properties.?-Sitosterol was isolated from rhizoma Anemarrhenae for the first time, and determined by UV, IR, PMR and MS data.

Sarsasapogenin is one of constituents possessing physiological activity in the rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge. The content of sarsasapogenin during different developmental stages of the plant as detected by gas chromatography has been found to be at its highest in April and May, being 3.17% and 2.73% respectively and at its lowest in March, amounting to 1.09% only. In our experiment sarsasapogenin level of Xilin Zhimu produced in Xilin in Hebei Province reached 3.10% , which was higher than that of those produced in other areas. Especially, in rhizomes at two years of growth the content of sarsasapogenin reached the level of 4.19% , which was higher than that of those at one or three years.

Anemarrhena asphodeloides is a traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, anovel constituent-pentacosyl vinyl ester was isolated, for the first time, fromthe fresh rhizomes of Anemarrhena asphodeloides (produced at Xilin in Hebei Province), and identified by the chemical tests, UV, IR and MS.

Three crystals (Ⅰ, ⅡandⅢ) were isolated from Galeola shweliensis W.W. Sm. and identified by means of physical nd chemical properties, and spectral data. It shows that crystal I was a novel com-pound, named galeolate (CH3-(CH2)12-C-O-CH2 -(CH2)12-C-O-C-CH3). Crystal ⅡandⅢwere confirmed as steanc acid and ?-sitosterol, respectively. These three constituents were found inthis plant for the first time.

Objective:To analyze the chemical constituents of the ether extracts from the fruits of 3 species of Chaenomeles . Methods: The chemical constituents were analyzed by GC MS. Results: Sixty one constituents were firstly isolated and identified from the fruits of 3 species of Chaenomeles . Forty compounds in Chaenomeles lagenaria , thirty four compounds in Xuan mugua ( C.lagenaria from Xuanzhou) and 23 compounds in C.sinensis were isolated and identified respectively. There were 10 compounds in all 3 species of Chaenomeles , but their contents were very much different. They were acetic acid, benzaldehyde, n caproic acid, 14 methyl pentadecanoic methyl ester, glycerin, benzoic acid, 6,9 octadecadienoic methyl ester, squalane, stearic acid and oleic eicosyl ester. Conclusion: The composition and content vary with different species and district of Chaenomeles . The result may be useful for the evaluation of Chaenomeles fruits quality. [