This invention relates to a process for producing sapogenins and
ginsenosides comprising the steps of mixing a ginsenoside extract with
water, mixing the ginsenoside extract and water with an alkali-metal
alcoholate solution or a hydroxide-ethanol solution to produce a mixture;
or, alternatively, mixing a ginsenoside extract with ethanol, mixing the
extract and ethanol with alkali-metal alcoholates solution to produce a
mixture. The resultant mixture is placed in a reaction tank so that the
resultant mixture can undergo chemical reactions under high temperature
and high pressure effective to produce sapogenins therefrom. The
temperature of the reaction tank can range between 150-300.degree. C. and
the pressure can range between 2.5 to 8.4 MPa. After the reaction is
completed, an intermediate product of a mix of ginsenosides and
sapogenins from the ethanol mixture is collected and the desired
sapogenins and ginsenosides are separated from the intermediate product
by silica-gel-column chromatography.
