Abstract: Based on the results of the phytochemical studies on genus Polygonatum, this paper divided all of the steroidal sapogenins that isolated from this genus into five classes of the oxidation level. The rules of the molecular evolution of these sapogenins in different oxidation levels were analyzed. Moreover, correlations between the molecular evolution of steroidal saponins and the morphological aspects of this genus were discussed. The results showed that the original taxa, such as the species from Ser. Alternifolia, contained saponins with lower oxidation level. Whereas , most of the saponins with higher oxidation level sapogenins were found mostly in the relative evolutive taxa, especially in Ser. Verticillata. This chemotaxonomic viewpoint will conduce to establish a phylogeny of the genus Polygonatum.

Key words: Steroidal saponins

摘要： 在植物化学研究的基础上, 按分子的氧化水平将黄精属植物的甾体皂苷元分为5 个等级, 通过对不同氧化水平之间分子进化规律的分析, 讨论黄精属植物甾体皂苷元分子进化与形态特征的相关性。结果表明, 较原始的类群通常含有氧化水平较低的甾体皂苷, 如: 互叶系(Ser . Alternifolia) ; 而氧化水平较高的甾体皂苷类型则大多存在于较进化的类群中, 如: 轮叶系(Ser . Verticillata )。这一植物化学分类学的观点有助于黄精属植物的系统分类。

关键词: 甾体皂苷, 黄精属, 化学分类, 分子进化