In order to determine the specific active oxygen species directly related to chlorophyll bleaching in the leaf-burning disease, we investigated the effects of singlet oxygen (1O2), superoxide radical (O2-), and hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) on isolated chloroplast suspension and leaf discs from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer. When the singlet oxygen was added to the chloroplast suspension, the chlorophyll and carotenoid contents were decreased by more than 809), similar to treatment with high light intensity (100 KLux). We assumed that the conversion of dioxygen (O2) produced either in photolysis or in breakdown of hydrogen peroxide to singlet oxygen resulted from photorespiration. On the basis of these experiments , :he inhibitory effects of active oxygen scavengers propylgallic acid (PGA), 2,5-ditetrabutyl hydroquinon (DBH), sodium pyrosulfate (SPS), and ascorbic acid (ABS) were examined. In chloroplast suspension all four scavengers inhibited chlorophyll bleaching by more than 75fl , and in the leaf discs the inhibition rates of SPS, PGA and ABS were 46%, 51%, and 96% respectively.