Schisandra
also known as Five-flavor berry, Wu wei zi, Magnolia berry
A red berry from a climbing vine native to northern China and the Russian Far East, called wu wei zi in Chinese — meaning 'five-flavor berry,' because it carries sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and pungent notes all at once. Used in traditional Chinese medicine for over two thousand years and studied in earnest through Soviet research programs in the 1960s.
- Adaptogen — helps the body cope with physical and mental stress
- Supports liver function — protects liver cells and supports the production of glutathione, the body's master antioxidant
- May modestly improve mental performance, particularly under fatigue or pressure
- Long traditional use as a tonic for energy, endurance, and recovery
- Some evidence for easing menopausal symptoms
- Antioxidant action from the lignans in the berry
Active in Schisandrins (A, B, C), Lignans, Schisandrol.
- Gomisin A exerts neuroprotective effects on spinal cord injury through the EGFR/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway to inhibit ferroptosis.
- Mechanism of galacturonic acid-rich Schisandra Chinensis polysaccharide in improving emulsifying properties of soy protein hydrolysate: Insights from interfacial behavior and molecular interactions.
- Chemical profiling and multi-dimensional pharmacokinetic analysis of shengmaiyin oral liquid for cardiac dysfunction.
Memorial Sloan Kettering About Herbs · EMA Herbal Medicinal Product Monographs · American Botanical Council HerbMedPro