Traditional Processing Methods and Storage Techniques for Schisandra chinensis

The fruit of Schisandra chinensis is a traditional Chinese medicinal material with a long history of use and is sold well both domestically and internationally. Schisandra chinensis is sour and sweet in taste, warm in nature, and enters the lung, heart, and kidney meridians. It has the effects of astringing the lungs, nourishing the kidneys, promoting fluid production, stopping sweating, and securing the essence. It is used to treat conditions such as cough and asthma due to lung deficiency, dry mouth and thirst, spontaneous sweating, night sweats, emaciation from injury, seminal emission and spermatorrhea, chronic diarrhea and chronic dysentery. It is mainly produced in Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Hebei, among other places.

I. Collection and Processing of Schisandra chinensis

1. Raw Schisandra (dried): Every year from September to October, when the fruit of Schisandra chinensis is bright red, pick it, cut it from the base of the fruit cluster, remove fruit branches and impurities, and dry it in the sun. During the drying process, turn it frequently to prevent mildew and rot. When it is dried to the point that it feels elastic when squeezed in the hand and returns to its original shape when released, and the moisture content of the fruit is about 12%, it is considered dried. After sun-drying, store it in a dry and ventilated place to prevent mildew, rot, and insect damage. If encountering rainy days, it can be dried indoors at 35°C. During the drying process, turn it frequently to prevent mildew and deterioration. After drying, remove fruit branches and impurities.

2. Steamed Schisandra. Put the cleaned fruit of Schisandra chinensis into a jar or other container, seal the opening, then place it in a braising pot with water, steam thoroughly, take it out, and dry it.

3. Wine-processed Schisandra. Mix the cleaned fruit of Schisandra chinensis evenly with yellow rice wine, braise and moisten until the wine is fully absorbed, then place it in a steamer or jar and seal tightly. Steam until it turns purple-red to black, take it out, and dry it. For every 100 kg of Schisandra chinensis, add 20 kg of yellow rice wine.

4. Honey-processed Schisandra. First put honey in a pot, heat until boiling, then pour the cleaned Schisandra chinensis into the heated honey pot, stir-fry over gentle heat until it no longer sticks to the hand, take it out, and let it cool. For every 100 kg of Schisandra chinensis, use 30 kg of refined honey.

5. Vinegar-steamed Schisandra. Mix the cleaned Schisandra chinensis evenly with vinegar, braise and moisten until the vinegar is fully absorbed, place it in a steamer or jar, seal tightly, steam until purple-black, take it out, and dry it. For every 100 kg of Schisandra chinensis, add 15 kg of rice vinegar.

II. Specification Standards:

According to the medicinal material commodity specification standards formulated by the State Pharmaceutical Administration and the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China, Schisandra chinensis is divided into Grade I and Grade II.

Grade I standard: dry goods. Irregularly spherical or oval. Surface purple-red or reddish-brown, wrinkled, thick flesh, soft and moist in texture, containing 1-2 kidney-shaped seeds. The fruit flesh is sour in taste, the seeds have a fragrant aroma and a pungent, slightly bitter taste. Shriveled grains shall not exceed 2%, with no stems, branches, impurities, insect damage, or mildew.

Grade II standard: dry goods. Irregularly spherical or oval. Surface black-red, dark red, or light red, wrinkled, relatively thin flesh, containing 1-2 kidney-shaped seeds. The fruit flesh is sour in taste, the seeds have a fragrant aroma and a pungent, slightly bitter taste. Shriveled grains shall not exceed 20%, with no stems, branches, impurities, insect damage, or mildew.

III. Storage and Maintenance

The safe moisture content of commercial Schisandra chinensis is 13%-15%, so it should be stored in a ventilated and dry place. During storage, it is prone to losing water and becoming hard and dry, or absorbing moisture and growing mold, and in severe cases, it may clump together. Therefore, during storage, regular inspections should be carried out to check for changes such as damp softness, mold, or hardness and dryness, and the environment should be kept clean, dry, and ventilated.