Preparative Separation and Purification of Schisandrin and Schisantherin from Schisandra Chinensis (Turcz) Baill by High Speed Countercurrent Chromatography

Abstract

High speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) was successfully applied to the preparative separation and purification of schisandrin and schisantherin from Schisandra chinensis (Turcz) Baill by microwave‐assisted extraction. The petroleum ether extract was separated with a two‐phase solvent system composed of n‐hexane‐ethyl acetate‐methanol‐water (22:8:20:20, v/v). The analysis of HPLC for each fraction from preparative HSCCC showed that the purity of schisandrin (16 mg) was over 98% and schisantherin (6 mg) was over 96% from the 100 mg of petroleum ether extract in a one‐step separation.

Keywords:

• Countercurrent chromatography
• Schisandra chinensis (Turcz) Baill
• Schisandrin
• Schisantherin
• Microwave‐assisted extraction

Acknowledgments

Financial support from Shanghai Commission of Science and Technology and National Engineering Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine are gratefully acknowledged.