Abstract
Schisandra
chinensis (Chinese starvine) is a popular dietary supplement with a
rich history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. Schisandra glabra
(bay starvine) is the only North American representative of the genus,
and little is known about its history of traditional use, chemistry, and
potential biological activity. In this study, we conducted comparative
high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD)
analysis on S. glabra and S. chinensis fruits. Additional
characterization of S. glabra was performed by liquid
chromatography-Fourier transform mass spectrometry (LC-FTMS).
Quantitative analysis of four bioactive marker compounds revealed that
S. glabra does not have statistically higher levels of schisandrin A or
schisandrol B than S. chinensis. S. glabra has lower levels of
schisandrol A and γ-schisandrin. Total phenolic contents of the two
species' fruits were not statistically different. S. glabra had higher
total tannin content than S. chinensis. We discuss the relevance of this
analytical analysis to the study of S. glabra as a potential dietary
supplement ingredient and give specific consideration to the
conservation challenges involved in commercially developing a regionally
threatened species, even in semicultivated conditions.
