• Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.72-77
• /
• 2000

The repeated silica gel colum chromatographies of EtOAc fraction, showing anticonvulsant activity, obtained from MeOH extracts of Schizandra chinensis B. fruits led to isolation of a sesquiterpenoid, four lignans and a sterol glycoside. Their chemical structures were determined to be chamigrenal, gomisin A, gomisin H, gomisin N. schizandrin and daucosterol. Among them, schizandrin and daucosterol inhibited GABA degrative enzymes, succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase and succinic semialdehyde reductase, respectively. It is postulated that the schizandrin and daucosterol are able to elevate the neurotransmitter GABA levels in central nervous system by inhibitory action on GABA degrative enzymes and act as anticonvulsant drugs.