Evaluation of proximate composition, bioactive lignans and volatile composition of Schisandra chinensis fruits from Inje and Mungyeong, Republic of Korea

The present study aimed to determine the proximate composition, mineral content, active ingredients (schisandrin, schisandrin A, gomisin A and gomisin N) and volatile composition of Schinsandra chinensis fruits collected from Inje and Mungyeong, two major cultivating areas in Republic of Korea. The bioactive ingredients were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The volatile composition of the supercritical carbon dioxide extracts (SFE) from the fruits of S. chinensis was determined by solid phase microextraction (SPME) - gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The proximate composition was found to be higher in Mungyeong than Inje samples. The minerals such as Mn, Ca and P were higher in the samples obtained from Inje when compared with Mungyeong. The active ingredients such as schisandrin (5018.67 µg/g), gomisin N (4772.87 µg/g) and schisandrin A (717.18 µg/g) were found to be higher level in Mungyeong samples with the exception of gomisin A. The SPME–GC/MS analysis revealed the identification of 40 components from each place, representing 97.22% (Inje) and 96.81% (Mungyeong) of the SFE. Ylangane, α-himachalene, longipinene and italicene were detected as the major components in the SFE. In conclusion, Inje and Mungyeong are the suitable places to collect S. chinensis fruits with higher level of nutrient and chemical contents.