Extraction, purification, structural characterization, and biological activity of polysaccharides from Schisandra chinensis: A review

Schisandra chinensis (SC), a plant of the Magnoliaceae family, commonly known as "North Schisandra chinensis", has been listed as a top-grade Chinese medicine in the Shennong Materia Medica Classic for its high medicinal value since ancient times. Polysaccharides from S. chinensis fruits (SCPs) are an active component in SC, which have various biological activity, including immune regulation, anti-tumor, antioxidant, liver protective, anti-inflammatory and hypoglycemic activity. Research has shown that the extraction methods of SCPs include hot water extraction, water extraction and alcohol precipitation, ultrasonic-assisted, microwave-assisted and so on. Different extraction methods can affect the yield and purity of polysaccharides, and to improve the extraction yield of SCPs, two or more extraction methods can be combined. SCPs are mainly composed of glucose, mannose, rhamnose, galactose, galacturonic acid and arabinose. This article aims to provide a systematic review of the research progress in the extraction and separation methods, structural characterization, and biological activity of SCPs both domestically and internationally in recent years. This deeply explores the pharmacological activity and action mechanism of SCPs, and provides a certain point of reference for the research and clinical application of SC.