Abstract: Panax Notoginseng,Chinese traditional medicine,has drawn more attention in recent years. In this paper the water-soluble constituents of P. notoginseng and its pharmacological activities,especially neurophysiological activity,are reviewed and compared with other Panax species. The practicability of peptide-extraction of P. notoginseng is also discussed.

Key words: Panax notoginseng, Panax species, Water-soluble constituents, Oligopeptides, Pharmacology