Schisandrin A is a bioactive lignan occurring in the fruits of plants of the Schisandra genus that have traditionally been used in Korea for treating various inflammatory diseases. Schisandrin A inhibits dengue viral replication via upregulating antiviral interferon responses through STAT signaling pathway. Schisandrin A represents a potential antiviral agent to block DENV replication in vitro and in vivo. Schisandrin A has been widely reported as being very effective for the treatment of liver disease. The hepatoprotective mechanisms of schisandrin A may include activation of autophagy flux and inhibition of apoptosis.

Schisantherin A is a dibenzocyclooctadiene originally found in Schisandra that exhibits anti-tussive, sedative, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporotic, neuroprotective, cognition enhancing, and cardioprotective activities. In macrophages, schisantherin A decreases LPS-induced expression and activity of iNOS, COX-2, NO, IL-6, and TNF-α. Schisantherin A also decreases RANKL-induced NF-κB signaling by inhibiting IκBα degradation and suppressing JNK and ERK1/2 activation in vitro; it also inhibits osteoclast function and bone erosion in vivo. In animal models of Alzheimer’s disease, schisantherin A inhibits amyloid-β (Aβ)-induced learning and memory impairments in Y maze, shuttle box, and Morris water maze assays. Additionally, this compound lowers left ventricular systolic and end diastolic pressures, decreases infarct size and maldionaldehyde release, and increases superoxide dismutase activity, preventing myocardial apoptosis in animal models of cardiac ischemia/reperfusion. Schisantherin A conferred significant protection against MPTP-induced loss of TH-positive dopaminergic neurons in a Parkinson's disease (PD) mice model. Western blotting analysis demonstrated that Schisantherin A exhibited neuroprotection against MPP(+) through the regulation of two distinct pathways including increasing CREB-mediated Bcl-2 expression and activating PI3K/Akt survival signaling suggesting that StA might be a promising neuroprotective agent for the prevention of PD.

Schisandrin is a bioactive compound found in Schisandra chinensis. Schisandrin exhibits antioxidant properties and ameliorates ovariectomy-induced memory impairment in rats, and Aβ1-42-induced memory impairment in mice. Schisandrin has an anti-asthmatic effect on OVA-induced airway inflammation in a murine asthma model. The compound inhibits proliferation of breast cancer cell lines at concentrations of 20-100 uM.

Chrysophanic acid (Chrysophanol) is a member of the anthraquinone family abundant in rhubarb, a widely used herb for obesity treatment in Traditional Korean Medicine. Chrysophanol has been shown to induce cell death in different types of cancer cells. Chrysophanol inhibits EGF-induced phosphorylation of EGFR and suppresses activation of AKT and mTOR/p70S6K. Chrysophanol also effectively suppresses breast cancer cell proliferation and facilitates chemosentivity through modulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. A treatment of chrysophanol could reduce significantly the clinical signs and the levels of inflammatory mediators in a colitis model caused by DSS treatment. The anti-inflammatory activities of chrysophanol could be attributed, at least in part, to the inhibition of proinflammatory cytokine production (TNF-α and IL-6), COX-2, and iNOS protein expression. These effects of chrysophanol are caused by the inhibition of LPS-induced NF-κB activation, IκB-α degradation, and caspase-1 activation. These results provide experimental evidence showing that chrysophanol might prove useful in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.