Studies of Fructus schizandrae. IV. Isolation and determination of the active compounds (in lowering high SGPT levels) of Schizandra chinensis Baill.

The alcoholic extracts of the kernels of Schizandra chinensis Baill have been reported to be capable of lowering elevated SGPT levels in mice induced by CCl4 and inhibiting the central nervous system. Seven pharmacological active compounds have been isolated from the alcoholic extracts by column chromatography. Five of them are identified as wuweizisu C (I), wuweizisu B (II), wuweizisu A (III), wuweizichun B (IV) and wuweizichun A (V). They are all derivatives of the dibenzo (a, c) cyclooctene system, among which compounds I and IV have hitherto not been reported in literature. Ozonolysis of III and subsequent oxidation with H2O2 yields meso-3,4-dimethyladipic acid. Pyrolytic syn-elimination of V acetate and oxidation of the resultant olefin (V-4) affords a diketone (V-5) with molecular weight of 446. According to these results and based on the NMR spectra, the two methyl groups at C-6 and C-7 of compound I--V must be cis-oriented.