Schisandra berries

Schisandra berries

　　Also known as: mountain prickly ash, Chinese magnolia vine fruit.

Origin: the dried ripe fruit of the plant Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. from the Magnoliaceae family.

Plant morphology: a deciduous woody vine, growing up to 8 meters long, with grayish-brown bark and distinct lenticels, brown twigs that are slightly angular. Leaves are alternate with slender petioles; blades are thin and somewhat membranous; ovate, broadly obovate to broadly elliptic, 5–11 cm long and 3–7 cm wide, with acute tips, cuneate, broadly cuneate to rounded bases, serrulate margins, green above and pale yellow beneath with a fragrant aroma. Flowers are unisexual and dioecious; male flowers have long pedicels, 6–9 elliptic perianth segments, and 5 basally connate stamens; female flowers have 6–9 perianth segments, numerous spirally arranged carpels on the receptacle, inverted pear-shaped ovaries without styles, which gradually elongate into a spike-like structure after pollination. Berries are spherical, 5–7 mm in diameter, turning deep red when ripe, containing 1–2 seeds. Flowering period: May to July. Fruiting period: August to September.

Ecological distribution: grows in mixed broadleaf forests on sunny slopes, climbing on other plants. Distributed across all counties and districts of Benxi.

Quality indicators: preferred when dark purplish-red, large, thick-fleshed, oily and glossy.

Harvest time: picked when the fruits are fully ripe after the first frost.

Processing at origin: sift to remove dust, eliminate impurities, steam thoroughly in a steamer, then dry in the sun.

Morphological identification: dried fruits are slightly spherical or flattened spherical, 5–8 mm in diameter. The outer skin is bright red, purplish-red or dark red, oily and glossy, with irregular wrinkles. The flesh is soft, often several fruits sticking together; contains 1–2 kidney-shaped seeds, brownish-yellow, glossy, hard, with white kernels. The flesh has a faint but distinctive aroma and a sour taste. Crushed seeds emit a fragrant aroma with a pungent and bitter taste.

Chemical components: the fruit contains about 3% volatile oil, including significant amounts of sesquicarene, β2-bisabolene, β-chamigrene, and α-ylangene. Dry fruit contains 12% citric acid, 10% malic acid, and small amounts of tartaric acid. It also contains monosaccharides, resins, etc. The seeds contain about 33% fatty oil, with its non-saponifiable fraction containing about 0.12% schizandrin, an active component of tonic efficacy, as well as γ-, ε-, ρ-schizandrins, pseudo-γ-schizandrin, deoxyschizandrin, and schizandrol. It also contains about 1.6% volatile oil, mainly composed of citral. In addition, it contains chlorophyll, sterols, vitamins C and E, resins, tannins, and small amounts of sugars.

Pharmacological effects: (1) Effects on the central nervous system: at appropriate doses, it has excitatory effects on various levels of the central nervous system (such as flexor reflexes in frog spinal cords, spinal reflexes, the brain, etc.); it also excites and strengthens reflexive responses in various parts of the central nervous system in healthy individuals; improves intellectual activity and work efficiency. For example, in tests using healthy young men—such as threading needles within 5 minutes, the number and errors in receiving Morse code, or using long-distance running as an indicator—5–10 mg of schizandrin improved actions requiring focused attention, fine coordination, and physical exertion. Conditioned reflex or EEG studies also show that northern schisandra enhances excitation processes, though less so than caffeine; it also enhances inhibition processes, increasing the flexibility of neural processes; promotes balance between the two types of neural processes, enhancing regulatory functions of the cerebral cortex. Excessive doses can lead to protective inhibition or even poisoning symptoms (such as motor excitement, insomnia, difficulty breathing). For dogs with experimentally induced neurosis due to radiation exposure, lower doses than those used for non-irradiated subjects are needed to improve conditioned reflexes. Its therapeutic effect on the latter is superior to that of ginseng. When its petroleum ether extract (containing 10–80% schizandrin) is administered orally or by intraperitoneal injection to mice, it has significant effects on the cholinergic nervous system—small doses enhance nicotinic receptor effects (increasing nicotine-induced convulsions and antidiuresis), while having weaker effects on muscarinic receptors; large doses block both. It potentiates some effects of reserpine and increases animal activity, showing excitatory effects on EEGs (transition from high-amplitude slow waves to arousal waves). Its ether extract shows synergistic effects with barbiturates.

(2) Effects on respiration: schizandrin stimulates respiration. A decoction (100% concentration, pH 2.6–3.2) at 0.1–0.5 mL/kg administered intravenously stimulates respiration in both conscious and anesthetized rabbits (increased frequency and amplitude); it also stimulates respiration in anesthetized dogs and cats; and counteracts morphine-induced respiratory depression. Analysis suggests this is due to direct stimulation of the respiratory center. When the acidity of the decoction is neutralized, the effect weakens.

(3) Effects on the cardiovascular system: at therapeutic doses, it has no significant impact on blood pressure. Results vary with different preparations and experimental methods. Water and dilute alcohol extracts, when injected intravenously into anesthetized animals, cause a drop in blood pressure, which is very weak after neutralizing acidity (muscle injection). The alcohol extract of the fruit can dilate finger blood vessels in humans. Some believe northern schisandra benefits cardiac activity, providing certain cardiotonic effects on animal hearts, regulating abnormal blood pressure, and significantly raising blood pressure in cases of circulatory failure.

(4) Effects on the uterus: stimulates the smooth muscle of isolated and in situ uteri in rabbits (non-pregnant, pregnant, or postpartum), primarily enhancing rhythmic contractions without significantly affecting tonicity, not causing contractions or raising blood pressure, differing from ergot alkaloids. Tincture of northern schisandra enhances labor activity in women with weak or overdue labor contractions; if labor has already begun naturally, the effect is even better.

(5) Effects on metabolism: influences sugar metabolism, promoting gluconeogenesis in the liver, accelerating glycogen breakdown, and enhancing the phosphorylation of fructose and glucose in brain, liver, and muscle tissues; can raise blood glucose and lactate levels. However, some reports indicate no effect on blood sugar. Reports on oxygen consumption in isolated tissues (such as brain, liver, kidney, etc.) are inconsistent—some show increased oxygen consumption, others decreased. It promotes gastrointestinal absorption of phosphorus-32 and increases its accumulation in the liver, kidney, lung, heart, spleen, pancreas, and brain; it can briefly enhance alkaline phosphatase activity. In glucose tolerance tests on rabbits, its extract improves the body’s utilization of sugar. It can also cause thymus atrophy in young mice, indicating an adrenal cortical-enhancing effect.

(6) Other effects: can improve vision and expand the visual field in both normal individuals and those with eye diseases; has beneficial effects on hearing and enhances the discrimination ability of skin receptors. It regulates gastric juice secretion and, in dogs with gallbladder fistulas, promotes bile secretion. Antibacterial effects (against dysentery, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, etc.) have been reported, but due to its strong acidity, further analysis is needed. It has cough-suppressing (via ammonia spray method) and expectorant (via phenol red method) effects in mice; two crystals derived from the ether extract (melting points 120–122°C and 126–129°C) show significant cough-suppressing effects in mice; oral administration of 2–3 grams (equivalent to 11.8–17.7 grams of crude drug) to healthy individuals shows no significant effect on blood pressure, respiration, or heart rate.

Northern schisandra, similar to ginseng, exhibits “adaptogen”-like effects. Though weaker than other similar herbs such as eleuthero and ginseng, it also has lower toxicity. It enhances the body’s defense against nonspecific stimuli. At appropriate doses, it prolongs swimming time in rats, counteracts the testosterone-induced reduction in adrenal weight, and prevents the decline in adrenal vitamin C content caused by hydrocortisone. Used alone or combined with sour jujube seed, it improves survival rates and extends survival time in scalded mice; the combination also delays the onset of burn shock and extends survival time in rats, while reducing local edema in scalded mice.

Properties and meridians: warm, sour. Enters the lung and kidney meridians.

Efficacy and indications: consolidates the lungs, nourishes kidneys, promotes fluids, regulates sweating, and astringes essence. Treats lung deficiency wheezing and cough, dry mouth and thirst, spontaneous sweating, night sweats, fatigue and emaciation, seminal emission and spermatorrhea, chronic diarrhea and dysentery.