Objective: To compare the effects of the total saponins from stem-leaves of wild ginseng and cultivated ginseng on H22 tumor-bearing mice, thus to provide exptl. basis for the medicinal value of stem-leaves of wild ginseng.Methods: H22 tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into the blank group, the model group, the Shenyi Capsule group (10 mg/kg-1·d-1), the total saponins from stem-leaves of wild ginseng groups of low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose (10 mg/kg-1·d-1, 20 mg/kg-1·d-1, 40 mg/kg-1·d-1), and the total saponins from stem-leaves of cultivated ginseng groups of low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose (10 mg/kg-1·d-1, 20 mg/kg-1·d-1, 40 mg/kg-1·d-1).After 14 days of continuous administration, the relative proliferation rates and inhibition rates of tumors were evaluated.The serum levels of IgG and IgM, as well as the contents of IFN-γ, IL-2 and TNF-α in peripheral blood were detected by ELISA.The proportions of CD3+/CD4+ and CD3+/CD8+ in peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry.Results: The relative tumor proliferation rates T/C (%) of the total saponins from stem-leaves of wild ginseng groups of low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose were 70.0%, 51.0% and 34.5%, and the inhibition rates were 21.2%, 43.1% and 60.4%, resp.The relative tumor proliferation rates T/C (%) of the total saponins from stem-leaves of cultivated ginseng groups of low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose were 77.9%, 60.3% and 40.5%, and the inhibition rates were 19.0%, 37.8% and 54.7%, resp.The T/C (%) of the Shenyi Capsule group was 30.5%, and the inhibition rate was 62.7%.Compared with the corresponding-dose groups of the total saponins from stem-leaves of cultivated ginseng, the average tumor weight was significantly lower in the medium-dose and high-dose groups of the total saponins from stem-leaves of wild ginseng (P<0.05).Compared with those in the blank group, the proportion of CD3+/CD4+ was significantly decreased (P<0.01), and the proportion of CD3+/CD8+ was significantly increased in the model group (P<0.01); compared with those in the model group, the proportion of CD3+/CD4+ was increased, and the proportion of CD3+/CD8+ was decreased in the Shenyi Capsule group and the low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups of the total saponins from stem-leaves of wild ginseng and cultivated ginseng (P<0.05, P<0.01).Compared with those in the blank group, the levels of IgG, IgM, IL-2, TNF-α and IFN-γ were significantly decreased in the model group (P<0.01); compared with those in the model group, the levels of IgG, IgM, IL-2, TNF-α and IFN-γ were significantly increased in the Shenyi Capsule group and the low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups of the total saponins from stem-leaves of wild ginseng and cultivated ginseng (P<0.01); compared with those in the corresponding-dose groups of the total saponins from stem-leaves of cultivated ginseng, the levels of IgG, IgM, IL-2 and TNF-α were increased significantly in the low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups of the total saponins from stem-leaves of wild ginseng (P<0.01), and the level of IFN-γ was increased significantly in the low-dose group and the medium-dose group (P<0.05).Conclusion: The total saponins from stem-leaves of wild ginseng and cultivated ginseng can inhibit the tumor growth of H22 tumor-bearing mice, which may be related to the expressions of CD3+/CD4+, CD3+/CD8+, IgG, IgM, IL-2, TNF-α and IFN-γ.The anti-hepatoma activity of the medium-dose and high-dose groups of the total saponins from stem-leaves of wild ginseng and the immune enhancement effect of the low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups of the total saponins from stem-leaves of wild ginseng were slightly stronger than those of corresponding-dose groups of the total saponins from stem-leaves of cultivated ginseng.