AIM： To prepare high-purity ginseng total saponins from a water decoction of Chinese ginseng root.METHOD： Total saponins were efficiently purified by dynamic anion-cation exchange following the removal of hydrophilic impurities by macroporous resin D101. For quality control, ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with a charged aerosol detector （CAD） was applied to quantify marker components. The total saponin content was estimated by a colorimetric method using a vanillin-vitriol system and CAD response. RESULTS： D201, which consisted of a cross-linked polystyrene matrix and -]N＋（CI-13）3 functional groups, was the best of the four anion exchange resins tested. However, no significant difference in cation exchange ability was observed between D001 （strong acid） and D 113 （weak acid）, although they have different functional groups and matrices. After purification in combination with D101, D201, and D 113, the estimated contents of total saponins were 107% and 90% according to the colorimetric method and CAD response, respectively. The total amount of representative ginsenosides Re, Rd, Rgl, and compound K was approximately 22% based on ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-CAD quantitative analysis. CONCLUSION： These findings suggest that an ion exchange resin, combined with macroporous adsorption resin separation, is a promising and feasible purification procedure for neutral natural polar components.
