This study investigated ginsenosides and tissue characteristics of roots injured by physiological disorder, rusty and rough skin. After separation to cortex and stele parts of healthy, rusty (red) and rough skin roots, respectively, the contents of saponin and ginsenosides were analyzed. And also, the histological and cytological characteristics of cortex and stele parts were investigated. Crude saponin contents were little different among healthy, rusty (red) and rough skin root and ginsenesides as - Rgl, - Re and - Rbl were largely detected both in stele and cortex part. The ratio of PT/PD showed about 1:1 in three kinds of root. In histological study, destoryed cells in epidermis of rusty(red) root, and those in epidermis and exodermis of rough skin root were observed. The cells in cortex of rusty (red) and rough skin root have generally nucleus with unfixed shape, unequal cell wall, large number of vacuole and mitochondris, and unidentified dark substances compared to healthy root. But in cell of stele tissue, most of organellE seems to be normal except a small number of cells in rough skin root.