OBJECTIVE:To optimize the vinegar-steaming process of Wuweizi(Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis)using the response surface method(RSM)based on the Box-Behnken design.METHODS:A regression model was constructed with the response variables,the content of Deoxyschizandrin,and the three explanatory factors:length of steaming time,the quantity of vinegar and length of moistening time to evaluate the effects on the processing of Wuweizi(Fructus SchisandraeChinensis).RESULTS:There was a linear relationship between the content of Deoxyschizandrin and the three explanatory factors.When the steaming time was5.49 h,with 2.365 g of vinegar added and a moistening time of 4.13 h,the content of Deoxyschizandrin reached the maximum predicted value of0.1076%,and under the conditions the average content of Deoxyschizandrin was 0.1058%.CONCLUSION:The correlation coefficient of thenonlinear mathematical model was relatively high and the model matched the data well,potentially providing a method for the study of the steaming process.