Comparative Phytochemical Analysis of Chinese and Bay Starvine (Schisandra spp.): Potential for Development as a New Dietary Supplement Ingredient

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.

KEYWORDS:

• conservation
• dietary supplements
• Schisandra chinensis
• Schisandra glabra
• schisandrin A
• γ-schisandrin
• schisandrol A
• schisandrol B

Acknowledgments

The authors extend special thanks to Dr. Kevin Spelman of the Health, Education and Research in Botanical (HERB) Medicines (Ashland, OR) for providing S. chinensis fruit samples and critically reading and providing constructive comments on the article. The authors extend additional thanks to Dr. Fred Strobel of Emory University's Mass Spectrometry Center for his assistance with mass spectral acquisition and data analysis.

Declaration of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Funding

Funding for this study was provided by the Emory University Center for the Study of Human Health. The purchase of the chemical standards used in this study was made possible by support from the Bent Creek Institute. The funding source played no role in the study design, experimentation, analysis, or writing.

About the authors

James T. Lyles, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow in Emory University's Center for the Study of Human Health. He works to isolate and identify Staphylococcal quorum quenching compounds and biofilm inhibitors from ethnobotanically identified plant sources. Previously, Dr. Lyles worked with The Bent Creek Institute developing botanical authentication methodology.

Paula Tyler, BS, graduated from Emory University in 2015 with a BS in chemistry and anthropology and human biology. Her research interests include phytochemistry, medicinal natural products, and molecular mechanisms of infectious disease.

E. Jane Bradbury, PhD, is the director of research at Herbal Anthropology Project, a 501(c)3 for-purpose organization dedicated to supporting indigenous groups in community-led projects to preserve and protect traditional knowledge. She pursues an interdisciplinary combination of research, teaching, and outreach activities that explore the complex relationships among plants and human societies and the emergent biocultural landscapes.

Kate Nelson, BS, is a research specialist in dermatology at Emory University School of Medicine. Her research interests include anti-infective natural products and pharmacology of natural products.

Carl F. Brown, MS, is adjunct faculty in environmental sciences at Emory University. His interests include the role of Schisandra glabra in the conservation of forests and indigenous culture.

Stefanie T. Pierce, BA, is an affiliated researcher with environmental sciences, Emory University. Her primary focus is the endangered Mvskoke (Creek) language and its relationship to southeastern historical landscapes.

Cassandra L. Quave, PhD, is an assistant professor of dermatology and human health at Emory University. Her research interests include medical ethnobotany, medicinal plants, and anti-infective natural products.