The efficient manipulation of ginsenoside heterogeneity of Panax notoginseng cells using a recently synthesized elicitor, 2-hydroxyethyl jasmonate (HEJ, at 200 mu M), has been reported. In this work, the activities of two enzymes related to ginsenoside heterogeneity (distribution), proto-panaxdiol 6-hydroxylase (P6H) and UDPG-ginsenoside Rd glucosyltransferase (UGRdGT), were examined in cell cultures of P notoginseng elicited by HEJ. P6H and UGRdGT activities were increased by HEJ with corresponding changes in Rb/Rg ratio and Rb1/Rd ratio. Endogenous jasmonic acid (JA) seemed to mediate the induction of UGRdGT activation, but was not involved in P6H activation. The results suggest that JA, as a signal transducer, may play an important role in the alteration of ginsenoside heterogeneity in elicited P. notoginseng cells.