ABSTRACT
The optimization conditions for extraction of the lignans from Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) including the proportion between ethanol and water (A), reflux time (B), extraction time (C) and solvent volume (D) were investigated through an orthogonal design of L₉(3⁴). HPLC was used to determine the schisandrin, deoxyschisandrin and \γ-schisandrin in the plant. It was found that the optimized conditions of extraction were refluxing twice with 95% ethanol, volume 10 times of the dried powder weight (ml) for 90 min. Additionally, adsorption capacity on macroporous resins, ratio of sample to solvent volume and elution of various concentrations of the ethanol extract for purification of the lignans were optimized in this study. From the results, the maximum adsorption capacities of schisandrin, deoxyschisandrin and \γ-schisandrin were found to be 0.16, 0.75 and 0.62 mg/g resin, respectively. The adsorbed processing at volume 8 BV and the ratio of sample to solvent volume of 10:125 was also obtained. Seventy percent ethanol was the most suitable eluent to get the highest yield of the lignans as adsorbed by the macroporous resin.