The content on total saponins from semen litchi was estimated by either solvent or ultrasonic wave

used panaxadiol as a standard by 722 spec-trophotometer through the colourimetric method of vanillin perchloric acid . Orthogonal test tables L9(33)and L9(34)were used with the optimum factors of extracting temperature

extracting time

ethanol volume

etc respectively.Extract with ethanol

extraction time

the rate of solution to solid

extraction temperature and ethanol density as the factors affecting extraction ratio were studied. The results showed that the optimal extraction conditions of solvent are determined as follows:temperature 80℃

ethanol concentratin 70%

ratio of raw material to liquid 1:22 and extraction time 3 h.The content of total saponins in the crude extract from semen litch is 6.267 %.The optimum conditions of ultrasonic wave were as follows:extraction time 50min

the rate of solution to solid 1∶22

ethanol density 90%.the best ratio of extraction after extractant optimized with acid is 1.813%. The results showed that ultrasonic wave extraction was more efficient than the solvent extraction and shortened the extracting time largely.