LIGUSTRI FRUCTUS is the fruits of Ligustrum lucidum Aiton (Oleaceae), traditionally used as tonic in China. Phytochemical analyses revealed triterpenoid compounds such as oleanolic and ursolic acids were principal ingredients of the drug. A method for quantitative analysis of oleanolic and ursolic acids using HPLC was developed, and the market samples were analyzed using that method. In order to analyze quality variation caused by processing, fresh fruits of L. lucidum and L. japonicum were collected and processed in several different ways. Compositions of oleanolic and ursolic acids of processed samples were not very different among processed samples. Two origin species, L. lucidum and L. japonicum could be distinguished by the content ratio of these compounds.
