The present study was conducted to assess the effect of total saponins from Korean red ginseng on the biosynthesis of inositol phospholipids in vivo and also effects on the metabolic enzymes, such as phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C(Pl-PLC) and PI-kinases. The administration of 0.1% saponin solution, 0.1 ml 3 times a day intraperitoneally to 5 mice for 30 days has increased a 23% of the body weight when it compared with a control group. The amounts of 32P-phoschorus radioactivity incorporated into the phosphoinositides from the liver and brain tissues have increased a 310% and 260%, respectively, in the saponin treated mice. The activities of PI-PLC from liver and brain were stimulated in the various amounts by the conditions treated with saponins. The PI-kinases from liver and brain were also activated by saponins, but its effect was lower than that of PI-PLC. From these results, it was confirmed that red ginseng saponins have affected positively not only on the biosynthesis of phosphoinositides but also on the PI-PLC and PI-kinases related to the cellular signal transduction.