Analysis of the Active Compounds in Different Parts of the Schisandra chinensis Plant by Means of Pyrolysis-GC/MS

Summary.  Different parts of the S. chinensis tree (seeds, seed shells, fruits, leaves, and shoots) were characterized by means of analytical pyrolysis – gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The samples were pyrolyzed at 350°C leading to the evaporation of the thermally stable lignans. Besides the quantification of the lignans deoxyschisandrin, gomisin N, schisandrin, wuweizisu C, gomisin A, and angeloylgomisin H, further information about the composition of the plant parts, such as lignin, terpene, fatty acid, and carbohydrate content, could be obtained. The results were compared to the ones obtained by supercritical fluid extraction with carbon dioxide as well as literature data and were found to match.