The effects of initial osmotic pressure (IOP) on the production of ginseng polysaccharide and ginseng saponin were studied in suspension cultures of Panax notoginseng cells. At higher IOP, the specific saponin production and intracellular carbohydrate storage were increased, while the plant cell volume, the consumption rates of major medium components and the specific cell growth rate were decreased. The specific production of polysaccharide was reduced with an increase of IOP from 4.45 to 5.18 atm, and levelled off at an even higher IOP.