Quantitative determination of lignan constituents from Schisandra chinensis by liquid chromatography

The fruits of Schisondra chinensis (Schisandraceae/Magnoliaceae) are a traditional oriental medicine possessing diverse biological activities. A simple and specific analytical method for the quantitative determination of eight lignan constituents from the methanolic extract of the fruits of Schisandra chinensis was developed. The lignan constituents present in the fruits of Schisandra chinensis were separated with an acetonitrile-water-reagent alcohol gradient at a flow rate of 1.0 mL per minute. The HPLC separation was performed on a Phenomenex Luna C18 (2) (150 x 4.6 mm I.D., particle size 5 pm) reversed phase column with detection at 215 nm. The limit of detection was in the range from 0.2 to 1.5 mu g mL(-1). The relative standard deviation (RSD) values for the determination of lignan constituents in fruits of Schisandro chinensis were less than 2.0%. The method was successfully used to analyze different products available in the market containing Schisanclra chinensis and also to study the percentage compositions of various lignans present in Schisanclra chinensis procured from different regions in S. Korea.