Schizandronic Acid

Schizandronic Acid at a Glance

Schizandronic acid (also spelled schisandronic acid) is a cycloartane-type tetracyclic triterpene acid (C30H46O3) found in Schisandra berries, stems and leaves and in the related magnolia-vine Kadsura heteroclita. It is a distinct chemical class from the dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans — schisandrin, schisantherin A and their relatives — that carry most of schisandra’s better-known pharmacology; those are lignans, this is a triterpene, and the two should not be conflated.

The literature on this molecule is thin and entirely preclinical. Its one distinctive finding is as a hepatitis C virus (HCV) entry inhibitor in cell culture, with a mechanism unlike conventional antivirals ^{1Reference 1Qian XJ et al. · 2016A Schisandra-derived compound schizandronic acid inhibits entry of pan-HCV genotypes into human hepatocytesView study →}. Beyond that it appears mostly as an isolated triterpene in phytochemical surveys, sometimes with weak-to-moderate cytotoxicity against tumour cell lines ^{4,6Reference 4Wang W et al. · 2006New triterpenoids from Kadsura heteroclita and their cytotoxic activityView study →Reference 6Chen YG et al. · 2003In vitroTriterpenoids from Schisandra henryi with cytotoxic effect on leukemia and HeLa cells in vitroView study →}. There are no human data, no pharmacokinetics, and no established use for the isolated compound.

What It's Used For

Almost everything known about schizandronic acid comes from in-vitro isolate work. Two signals recur: an unusual antiviral mechanism and generic cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines.

Evidence by IndicationStrength of support · Beta

Support is an experimental score — weighted by study type (human > animal > in vitro) and volume. A beta, not a validated metric. Both rows are preclinical only; read them as “which lab signal is better characterised,” not as evidence of human benefit.

01Antiviral — HCV entry inhibitionShaky30%Detailed cell-culture mechanism + in-vivo mouse establishment, one lab; SAR follow-up ^{1,2Reference 1Qian XJ et al. · 2016A Schisandra-derived compound schizandronic acid inhibits entry of pan-HCV genotypes into human hepatocytesView study →Reference 2Zhang KX et al. · 2021In vitroSynthesis and in vitro anti-HCV and antitumor evaluation of schisandronic acid derivativesView study →}

02Cytotoxic / antitumour (in vitro)Shaky22%Weak-to-moderate isolate cytotoxicity across scattered phytochemistry papers ^{3,4,6Reference 3Xu LJ et al. · 2010Bioactive triterpenoids from Kadsura heteroclitaView study →Reference 4Wang W et al. · 2006New triterpenoids from Kadsura heteroclita and their cytotoxic activityView study →Reference 6Chen YG et al. · 2003In vitroTriterpenoids from Schisandra henryi with cytotoxic effect on leukemia and HeLa cells in vitroView study →}

Mechanisms

The membrane-fusion mechanism is the load-bearing, molecule-specific point: it is a host-membrane-targeting antiviral action distinct from direct-acting antivirals ^{1Reference 1Qian XJ et al. · 2016A Schisandra-derived compound schizandronic acid inhibits entry of pan-HCV genotypes into human hepatocytesView study →}. The cytotoxic and HIV-protease signals are generic triterpene-acid activity.

Pharmacokinetics

No pharmacokinetic data exist for schizandronic acid. Absorption, oral bioavailability, distribution, metabolism and half-life have not been characterised in the indexed literature. As a lipophilic, high-molecular-weight triterpene acid, low oral bioavailability would be expected on general grounds, but this is inference, not measurement — and it directly undercuts extrapolating the in-vitro antiviral potency to any oral/whole-herb use.

Clinical Trials

There are no clinical trials of schizandronic acid. All evidence is cell-culture or (for the HCV entry work) mouse-model preclinical.

Last checked: July 2026.

Isolate vs. Plant Studies

Every finding here is on the isolated triterpene acid — none on schisandra berry or a whole extract as a delivery vehicle for this molecule. The HCV entry work purified schizandronic acid from a Schisandra sphenanthera extract library and tested the pure compound (and later its synthetic derivatives) in cell and mouse systems ^{1,2Reference 1Qian XJ et al. · 2016A Schisandra-derived compound schizandronic acid inhibits entry of pan-HCV genotypes into human hepatocytesView study →Reference 2Zhang KX et al. · 2021In vitroSynthesis and in vitro anti-HCV and antitumor evaluation of schisandronic acid derivativesView study →}. The cytotoxicity and HIV-protease signals likewise come from isolating the compound out of Schisandra and Kadsura extracts and assaying it alone ^{3,4,6Reference 3Xu LJ et al. · 2010Bioactive triterpenoids from Kadsura heteroclitaView study →Reference 4Wang W et al. · 2006New triterpenoids from Kadsura heteroclita and their cytotoxic activityView study →Reference 6Chen YG et al. · 2003In vitroTriterpenoids from Schisandra henryi with cytotoxic effect on leukemia and HeLa cells in vitroView study →}. Because it is a minor, un-quantified triterpene constituent and no pharmacokinetics exist, there is no basis for assuming that eating schisandra berries delivers a meaningful dose of schizandronic acid — the isolate results do not transfer to the plant.

Prevalence in Nature

Schizandronic acid is a minor triterpene-acid constituent distributed across the family Schisandraceae. It has been isolated from the fruit of Schisandra sphenanthera ^{9Reference 9Liu H et al. · 2012Liu H, Li X, Zhang J, et al. (2012). [Chemical constituents of petroleum ether extract of fruits of Schisandra sphenanthera]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22993989/View study →}, the stems of Schisandra propinqua ^{5,7Reference 5Xu LJ et al. · 2006New lignans and cytotoxic constituents from Schisandra propinquaView study →Reference 7Chen YG et al. · 2001In vitroTriterpenoid acids from Schisandra propinqua with cytotoxic effect on rat luteal cells and human decidual cells in vitroView study →}, Schisandra henryi ^{6Reference 6Chen YG et al. · 2003In vitroTriterpenoids from Schisandra henryi with cytotoxic effect on leukemia and HeLa cells in vitroView study →} and the leaves/stems of Schisandra micrantha ^{8Reference 8Li RT et al. · 2003Micranoic acids A and B: two new octanortriterpenoids from Schisandra micranthaView study →}, and repeatedly from the related vine Kadsura heteroclita — from its stems ^{4,6Reference 4Wang W et al. · 2006New triterpenoids from Kadsura heteroclita and their cytotoxic activityView study →Reference 6Chen YG et al. · 2003In vitroTriterpenoids from Schisandra henryi with cytotoxic effect on leukemia and HeLa cells in vitroView study →} and roots ^{10Reference 10Zeng N et al. · 2024Zeng N, Su W, Zhang QD, et al. (2024). [Chemical constituents from roots of Kadsura heteroclita]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38621938/View study →}. In these surveys it co-occurs with a cluster of structurally related Schisandraceae triterpene acids — nigranoic acid, kadsuric acid, schisandrolic acid and the schisanlactones — as well as with the dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans. Its concentration as a percentage of dried plant material is not quantified in the indexed literature, so no comparative source figures are given here (a tracked gap).

Discovery & Synthesis

Schizandronic acid was first described in the phytochemical study of Schisandra and Kadsura species; among the earliest PubMed-indexed reports is a 2001 isolation from Schisandra propinqua stems ^{7Reference 7Chen YG et al. · 2001In vitroTriterpenoid acids from Schisandra propinqua with cytotoxic effect on rat luteal cells and human decidual cells in vitroView study →}, with subsequent structural characterisation from S. micrantha (2003) ^{8Reference 8Li RT et al. · 2003Micranoic acids A and B: two new octanortriterpenoids from Schisandra micranthaView study →}, S. sphenanthera fruit ^{9Reference 9Liu H et al. · 2012Liu H, Li X, Zhang J, et al. (2012). [Chemical constituents of petroleum ether extract of fruits of Schisandra sphenanthera]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22993989/View study →} and multiple Kadsura heteroclita studies ^{4,6,10Reference 4Wang W et al. · 2006New triterpenoids from Kadsura heteroclita and their cytotoxic activityView study →Reference 6Chen YG et al. · 2003In vitroTriterpenoids from Schisandra henryi with cytotoxic effect on leukemia and HeLa cells in vitroView study →Reference 10Zeng N et al. · 2024Zeng N, Su W, Zhang QD, et al. (2024). [Chemical constituents from roots of Kadsura heteroclita]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38621938/View study →}. Structurally it is a cycloartane-type tetracyclic triterpene acid (C30H46O3) — the cyclopropane-fused triterpene skeleton, with a carboxylic-acid-bearing side chain — and is a full C30 triterpene, not a nortriterpene (the octanortriterpenoids reported alongside it, the micranoic acids, are separate molecules) ^{8Reference 8Li RT et al. · 2003Micranoic acids A and B: two new octanortriterpenoids from Schisandra micranthaView study →}. No total synthesis has been reported; the compound is obtained only by extraction and chromatographic isolation from plant material, and the medicinal-chemistry work to date has functionalised the natural acid into semi-synthetic derivatives rather than building it from scratch ^{2Reference 2Zhang KX et al. · 2021In vitroSynthesis and in vitro anti-HCV and antitumor evaluation of schisandronic acid derivativesView study →}.

Patents: not yet researched.

Toxicity & Safety

Schizandronic acid carries a low flag, applied conservatively. Schisandra berries have a long history of food and medicinal use, and schizandronic acid is only a minor triterpene within them; there is no dedicated toxicology — no repeat-dose, genotoxicity, or reproductive-toxicity data — for the isolated compound. Its documented cytotoxicity is against tumour cell lines in vitro at modest potency, and in one screen of triterpenoid acids cytotoxic to normal luteal/decidual cells it was not among the active compounds ^{7Reference 7Chen YG et al. · 2001In vitroTriterpenoid acids from Schisandra propinqua with cytotoxic effect on rat luteal cells and human decidual cells in vitroView study →}. The low badge therefore reflects the benign whole-food context plus an absence of red flags — not a positive demonstration of safety for the concentrated isolate.

Safety at a Glance

✅ Low / no toxicity

• Benign dietary context. Occurs as a minor triterpene in schisandra berry, a long-used food/medicinal fruit; no toxicity signal at customary whole-berry intakes.
• No isolate toxicology. Repeat-dose, genotoxicity, reproductive and interaction data are absent for the pure compound; low is a conservative default, not a clearance.
• In-vitro cytotoxicity. Moderate cytotoxicity against tumour cell lines means the concentrated isolate is not assumed to be inert; relevance to intact-organism exposure is unknown.

Dosage

There is no established or studied human dose for schizandronic acid. It is a research compound, not a supplement or drug; the antiviral and cytotoxicity work used in-vitro concentrations and a mouse model, not human dosing ^{1,2Reference 1Qian XJ et al. · 2016A Schisandra-derived compound schizandronic acid inhibits entry of pan-HCV genotypes into human hepatocytesView study →Reference 2Zhang KX et al. · 2021In vitroSynthesis and in vitro anti-HCV and antitumor evaluation of schisandronic acid derivativesView study →}. Any human exposure is incidental, as a minor triterpene within schisandra berry preparations that are standardised (if at all) to the lignans, not to this acid. No figure here should be read as a recommendation.

References

1. Qian XJ, Zhang XL, Zhao P, et al. (2016). A Schisandra-derived compound schizandronic acid inhibits entry of pan-HCV genotypes into human hepatocytes. Scientific Reports. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27252043/
2. Zhang KX, Qian XJ, Zheng W, et al. (2021). Synthesis and in vitro anti-HCV and antitumor evaluation of schisandronic acid derivatives. Medicinal Chemistry. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32819233/
3. Xu LJ, Peng ZG, Chen HS, Wang J, Xiao PG (2010). Bioactive triterpenoids from Kadsura heteroclita. Chemistry & Biodiversity. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20860030/
4. Wang W, Liu J, Han J, et al. (2006). New triterpenoids from Kadsura heteroclita and their cytotoxic activity. Planta Medica. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16557460/
5. Xu LJ, Huang F, Chen SB, et al. (2006). New lignans and cytotoxic constituents from Schisandra propinqua. Planta Medica. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16491454/
6. Chen YG, Wu ZC, Lv YP, et al. (2003). Triterpenoids from Schisandra henryi with cytotoxic effect on leukemia and HeLa cells in vitro. Archives of Pharmacal Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14661856/
7. Chen YG, Qin GW, Cao L, Leng Y, Xie YY (2001). Triterpenoid acids from Schisandra propinqua with cytotoxic effect on rat luteal cells and human decidual cells in vitro. Fitoterapia. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11395273/
8. Li RT, Han QB, Zhao AH, Sun HD (2003). Micranoic acids A and B: two new octanortriterpenoids from Schisandra micrantha. Chemical & Pharmaceutical Bulletin. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14519924/
9. Liu H, Li X, Zhang J, et al. (2012). [Chemical constituents of petroleum ether extract of fruits of Schisandra sphenanthera]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22993989/
10. Zeng N, Su W, Zhang QD, et al. (2024). [Chemical constituents from roots of Kadsura heteroclita]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38621938/

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