Schisandra chinensis (of the family Schisandraceae) is a deciduous woody climbing vine that can grow up to 8 meters and bears flowers
(yellowish-white to pinkish) and small 5-8mm fruits of a deep red color; the plant itself is sometimes referred to as Chinese Magnolia
Vine (not to be confused withMagnolia officinalis) and the fruits, referred to as fructae or fructus shisandra, are used in Traditional
Chinese Medicine for the treatment of cough (antitussive) and asthma as well as to expel mucus from the lungs (expectorant), urinary and
genital disorders, feminine health, sedative, astringent, and a general wellness tonic to counter fatigue.Due to the fatigue fighting
properties, it is referred to as 'Qi-Invigorating' in the 'Yang' family of herbs whereas Qi refers to an abstract concept of vital energy
and Yang refers to an overal manifestation of bodily functions (with reference to organ function).
There is a polysaccharide within the fruits of shisandra chinensis temporarily dubbed SCP-IIa which shows immunomodulatory properties.
The lignans are also found in the shoot and leaves, just in a higher concentration in the fruits.Some of them possess an anti-oxidant
capacity.It has been estimated that maximum value of total lignans reaches 6-11% at flowering in the stem and bark of Schisandra
Chinensis, in which 3-8% was either Schisandrin, Schisandrol, or Gomisin A.
