Schisandra chinensis
Encyclopedia
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
woody vine native to forests of Northern China and the Russian Far East. It is hardy in USDA Zone 4. The plant likes some shade with moist, well-drained soil. The species itself is dioecious
Dioecious
Dioecy is the property of a group of biological organisms that have males and females, but not members that have organs of both sexes at the same time. I.e., those whose individual members can usually produce only one type of gamete; each individual organism is thus distinctly female or male...
, thus flowers on a female plant will only produce fruit when fertilized with pollen from a male plant. However, there is a hybrid selection titled "Eastern Prince" which has perfect flowers and is self-fertile. Gardeners should beware that seedlings of "Eastern Prince" are sometimes sold under the same name but are typically single-sex plants.
Etymology
Its Chinese name comes from the fact that its berries possess all five basic flavors: salty, sweet, sour, pungent (spicy), and bitter. Sometimes it is more specifically called běi wǔ wèi zi (; literally "northern five flavor berry") to distinguish it from another traditionally medicinal schisandraceous plant Kadsura japonicaKadsura japonica
Kadsura japonica , is a plant species native to Japan .-Cultivation:...
that grows only in subtropical areas. Another variant of schizandra berry is that of Schisandra Sphenanthera which has a similar but different biochemical profile; the Chinese pharmaceopia distinguishes between Schisandra Chinensis
Schisandra chinensis
Schisandra chinensis is a deciduous woody vine native to forests of Northern China and the Russian Far East. It is hardy in USDA Zone 4. The plant likes some shade with moist, well-drained soil...
(běi wǔ wèi zi) and Schisandra Sphenanthera (nan wǔ wèi zi) (see Difference between Schisandra chinensis and Schisandra sphenanthera)
General uses
Its berriesBerry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
are used in traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
, where it is considered one of the 50 fundamental herbs. They are most often used in dried form, and boiled to make a tea. Medicinally it is used as a tonic and restorative adaptogen
Adaptogen
An adaptogen is a herbal product claimed to increase resistance to stress, trauma, anxiety and fatigue. The term is used mainly by herbalists who also refer to adaptogens as rejuvenating herbs, qi tonics, rasayanas, or restoratives...
with notable clinically documented liver protecting effects. The primary hepatoprotective (liver protecting) and immuno-modulating constituents are the lignan
Lignan
The lignans are a group of chemical compounds found in plants. Lignans are one of the major classes of phytoestrogens, which are estrogen-like chemicals and also act as antioxidants. The other classes of phytoestrogens are the isoflavones and coumestans...
s schizandrin, deoxyschizandrin, gomisins, and pregomisin, which are found in the seeds of the fruit. It should not be used by pregnant women
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
.
China
In China, a wineChinese wine
Jiu is the Chinese word that refers to all alcoholic beverages. This word has often been mistranslated into English as "wine"; the meaning is closer to "alcoholic beverage" or "liquor"...
is made from the berries.http://www.jsfa.cn/sql/users/upload/img-200411250947561.jpg
Korea
In KoreanKorean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
the berries are known as omija (hangul: 오미자), and the tea made from the berries is called omija cha (hangul: 오미자 차); see Korean tea
Korean tea
Korean tea refers to various types of tisane that can be served hot or cold. Not necessarily related to "common" tea, they are made from diverse substances including fruits, leaves, roots, and grains used in traditional Korean medicine....
.
Japan
In JapaneseJapanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, they are called gomishi . The Ainu people
Ainu people
The , also called Aynu, Aino , and in historical texts Ezo , are indigenous people or groups in Japan and Russia. Historically they spoke the Ainu language and related varieties and lived in Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin...
used this plant, called repnihat, as a remedy for colds and sea-sickness.
Russia
In 1998, RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
released a postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
depicting S. chinensis.photo
Use in traditional Chinese medicine
In traditional Chinese medicine, Schisandra chinensis (known as wu wei zi ) is believed to:- Astringe Lung Qi and nourish the Kidneys
- Restrain the essence and stop DiarrheaDiarrheaDiarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
--astringentAstringentAn astringent substance is a chemical compound that tends to shrink or constrict body tissues, usually locally after topical medicinal application. The word "astringent" derives from Latin adstringere, meaning "to bind fast"...
KidneyKidneyThe kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
s - Arrest excessive sweating from Yin or Yang deficiency
- Calm the Spirit by tonification of Heart and Kidney
- Generate body fluids and alleviate thirst
S. chinensis yields schisandrin B
Schisandrin B
Schisandrin B is a chemical compound.Over the past few decades, the pharmacological activities of Schisandrin B, an active ingredient isolated from Fructus Schisandrae, have been extensively studied. Early evidence indicated that Schisandrin B could produce beneficial effects on liver function,...
.
Traditional uses in Russia
The great interest in Limonnik (Schisandra chinensis) in Russia arises from results of ethnopharmacological investigations of Russian scientists in the Far East regions where the berries and seeds were used by Nanai (Goldes or Samagir) hunters to improve night vision, as a tonic and to reduce hunger, thirst and exhaustion since “it gives forces to follow a sable all the day without food”Medicinal Uses
"Pharmacological studies on animals have shown that Schizandra increases physical working capacity and affords a stress-protective effect against a broad spectrum of harmful factors including heat shock, skin burn, cooling, frostbite, immobilisation, swimming under load in an atmosphere with decreased air pressure, aseptic inflammation, irradiation, and heavy metal intoxication.The phytoadaptogen exerts an effect on the central nervous, sympathetic, endocrine, immune, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal systems, on the development of experimental atherosclerosis, on blood sugar and acid-base balance, and on uterus myotonic activity."
Two major lignans, schizandrin and gomisin A , have shown to induce interleukin (IL)-8, macrophage inflammatory protein-1β
Macrophage Inflammatory Protein
Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins belong to the family of chemotactic cytokines known as chemokines. Macrophage inflammatory protein-1 , MIP-1 and MIP-1 are chemokines crucial for immune responses towards infection and inflammation. In humans, there are two major forms, MIP-1α and MIP-1β that are...
, and granulocyte-macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) release by THP-1 cells. Therefore, S. Chinensis may be therapeutically beneficial in promoting the body's humoral
Humoral immunity
The Humoral Immune Response is the aspect of immunity that is mediated by secreted antibodies produced in the cells of the B lymphocyte lineage . B Cells transform into plasma cells which secrete antibodies...
and cell-mediated immune responses.
Chemistry
Schizandrin is one of the main dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans present in the fruit of Schisandra Chinensis. Biological activities including hepatoprotective, antiviral and neuroprotective effects of schizandrin and other dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans have been reported.Recent studies have demonstrated that schisandrin exhibits anti-oxidative effects in vivo.
γ-schizandrin, gomisin A, γ-terpinene, bisabolene
Bisabolene
Bisabolenes are a group of closely related natural chemical compounds which are classified as sesquiterpenes. Bisabolenes are present in the essential oils of a wide variety of plants including cubeb, lemon and oregano...
(+)-gomisin K2, gomisin S, Pregomisin, Schisantherin A, Schicantherin B, Angeloylgomisin Q , Rubrildilactione .
Growing Information
Schizandra is native to northern and northeastern ChinaCultivation requirements are thought to be similar to those of grapes
http://bayflora.com/magnoliavine.html
http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/homehort/plant/Magnolia.htm
Schisandra chinensis is hardy to US Zone 4.
Plants require conditions of moderate humidity and light, together with a wet, humus-rich soil.
Tens of tons of berries are used annually in Russia in the Primorsky
Primorsky
Primorsky , Primorskaya , or Primorskoye is a Russian adjective translating to "maritime" or "near the sea".It may refer to:*Primorsky Krai, a federal subject of Russia...
and Khabarovsky
Khabarovsky
Khabarovsky , Khabarovskaya , or Khabarovskoye may refer to:*Khabarovsk Krai , a federal subject of Russia*Khabarovsky District, a district of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia...
regions for the commercial manufacture of juices, wines, extracts and sweets
Further reading
- Winston, David, and Steven Maimes. ADAPTOGENS: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief. Healing Arts Press, 2007. (Contains a detailed monograph on S. chinensis as well as a discussion of health benefits.)
