Sophora flavescens
Encyclopedia
Sophora flavescens is a species of plant in the genus Sophora
. Ku shen (the root) or kushenin (a flavonoid
compound) is a typical traditional Chinese medicine
that is found in this plant. It is commonly used for the treatment of viral hepatitis,enteritis, cancer, viral myocarditis, gastrointestinal hemorrhage and skin diseases (such as colpitis, psoriasis and eczema).
Its roots contain quinolizidine
alkaloids, includying matrine
and its oxide, matrine oxide that interfere TNF-alpha and IL-6, suggesting that oxymatrine may inhibit the expression of the above pro-inflammatory cytokines. Matrine also inhibited expression of Substance P
and NK-1R in a human model of skin inflammation, as well as acting as an agonist at mu and kappa opioid receptor
s.
is an effective antiarrthymic with an aquinidine-like effect; it slows the heart rate, increases cardiac conduction time and decreases myocardial excitability. It directly inhibited artrial muscle reduced the maximal driving frequency, inhibited arrhythmias induced by aconidine and chloroform
-epinephrine
.
, one of the main components extracted from Sophora flavescens, has displayed anti-cancer activity in several types of cancer cells in vitro.
Matrine possesses strong antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis
are the likely mechanisms responsible for matrine's antitumor activities.
It promotes hair growth, possibly due to 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor
y activity.
Sophorae injection can reduce the toxicity and adverse effects caused by chemotherapy
It is anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant.
Anti-atherosclerosis
May be an effective cholesterol-lowering agent and useful for preventing hypercholesterolemic atherosclerosis.
Atopic dermatitis
.
Sophora flavescens may have the potential for treatment of chronic inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Neuroprotective in focal cerebral ischemia.
A mix of Sophora flavescens and licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) gave better liver protective and anti-hepatocarcinogenic effects than licorice or Sophora alone. In addition, glycyrrhiza + sophora had a protective effect on immunosuppression, a strong non-specific anti-inflammatory effect, and reduced the incidence of sodium and water retention, protecting against pseudohypercorticosteroidism.
Sophoraflavanone G
obtained from Sophora flavescens was evaluated against 10 clinical isolates of methicillin
-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
. The combination showed a synergistic effect
Sophoridine possesses antiviral activities against Coxsackievirus
B3
Trifolirhizin, a pterocarpan
flavonoid
, was isolated from the roots of Sophora flavescens and showed potential anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities.
Sophora could possibly be used as a treatment for mast cell-derived allergic inflammatory diseases.
Inhibitory effects on cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP450 3A4)
The methanol extract of Sophora flavescens showed a potent glycosidase inhibitory activity.
Chemistry=
More than 20 alkaloids are found in S. flavescens. Oxymatrine, sophoridine, oxysophocarpine, and sophocarpine are the major alkaloid
s present.
May make skin whiter color by inhibition on tyrosinase
-dependent melanin
biosynthesis. Therefore a potential source of novel whitening agents for ultraviolet (UV)-sensitive skin
Antifeedant effect against Formosan subterranean termite
(matrine
and oxymatrine).
family, this species can fix nitrogen
.
Sophora
Sophora is a genus of about 45 species of small trees and shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family, Fabaceae. The species are native to southeast Europe, southern Asia, Australasia, various islands in the Pacific Ocean, western South America, the western United States, the Southern US...
. Ku shen (the root) or kushenin (a flavonoid
Flavonoid
Flavonoids , are a class of plant secondary metabolites....
compound) is a typical traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
that is found in this plant. It is commonly used for the treatment of viral hepatitis,enteritis, cancer, viral myocarditis, gastrointestinal hemorrhage and skin diseases (such as colpitis, psoriasis and eczema).
Its roots contain quinolizidine
Quinolizidine
Quinolizidine is a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound. Some alkaloids are derivatives of quinolizidine....
alkaloids, includying matrine
Matrine
Matrine is an alkaloid found in plants from the Sophora family. It has a variety of pharmacological effects, including anti-cancer effects, and action as a kappa opioid receptor agonist.Matrine possesses strong antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo...
and its oxide, matrine oxide that interfere TNF-alpha and IL-6, suggesting that oxymatrine may inhibit the expression of the above pro-inflammatory cytokines. Matrine also inhibited expression of Substance P
Substance P
In the field of neuroscience, substance P is a neuropeptide: an undecapeptide that functions as a neurotransmitter and as a neuromodulator. It belongs to the tachykinin neuropeptide family. Substance P and its closely related neuropeptide neurokinin A are produced from a polyprotein precursor...
and NK-1R in a human model of skin inflammation, as well as acting as an agonist at mu and kappa opioid receptor
Opioid receptor
Opioid receptors are a group of G protein-coupled receptors with opioids as ligands. The endogenous opioids are dynorphins, enkephalins, endorphins, endomorphins and nociceptin. The opioid receptors are ~40% identical to somatostatin receptors...
s.
Pharmocology
MatrineMatrine
Matrine is an alkaloid found in plants from the Sophora family. It has a variety of pharmacological effects, including anti-cancer effects, and action as a kappa opioid receptor agonist.Matrine possesses strong antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo...
is an effective antiarrthymic with an aquinidine-like effect; it slows the heart rate, increases cardiac conduction time and decreases myocardial excitability. It directly inhibited artrial muscle reduced the maximal driving frequency, inhibited arrhythmias induced by aconidine and chloroform
Chloroform
Chloroform is an organic compound with formula CHCl3. It is one of the four chloromethanes. The colorless, sweet-smelling, dense liquid is a trihalomethane, and is considered somewhat hazardous...
-epinephrine
Epinephrine
Epinephrine is a hormone and a neurotransmitter. It increases heart rate, constricts blood vessels, dilates air passages and participates in the fight-or-flight response of the sympathetic nervous system. In chemical terms, adrenaline is one of a group of monoamines called the catecholamines...
.
Modern research
MatrineMatrine
Matrine is an alkaloid found in plants from the Sophora family. It has a variety of pharmacological effects, including anti-cancer effects, and action as a kappa opioid receptor agonist.Matrine possesses strong antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo...
, one of the main components extracted from Sophora flavescens, has displayed anti-cancer activity in several types of cancer cells in vitro.
Matrine possesses strong antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis
Apoptosis
Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death that may occur in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes and death. These changes include blebbing, cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation, chromatin condensation, and chromosomal DNA fragmentation...
are the likely mechanisms responsible for matrine's antitumor activities.
It promotes hair growth, possibly due to 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor
5-alpha-reductase inhibitor
5α-Reductase inhibitors are a group of drugs with antiandrogenic activity, used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and androgenic alopecia...
y activity.
Sophorae injection can reduce the toxicity and adverse effects caused by chemotherapy
It is anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant.
Anti-atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a condition in which an artery wall thickens as a result of the accumulation of fatty materials such as cholesterol...
May be an effective cholesterol-lowering agent and useful for preventing hypercholesterolemic atherosclerosis.
Atopic dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory, chronically relapsing, non-contagious and pruritic skin disorder...
.
Sophora flavescens may have the potential for treatment of chronic inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Neuroprotective in focal cerebral ischemia.
A mix of Sophora flavescens and licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) gave better liver protective and anti-hepatocarcinogenic effects than licorice or Sophora alone. In addition, glycyrrhiza + sophora had a protective effect on immunosuppression, a strong non-specific anti-inflammatory effect, and reduced the incidence of sodium and water retention, protecting against pseudohypercorticosteroidism.
Sophoraflavanone G
Sophoraflavanone G
Sophoraflavanone G is a volatile phytoncide, released in to the atmosphere, soil and ground water, by members of the Sophora genus. Due to an increase in the rates of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, scientific efforts have focused on finding either naturally-made or genetically modified compounds...
obtained from Sophora flavescens was evaluated against 10 clinical isolates of methicillin
Methicillin
Meticillin or methicillin is a narrow-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotic of the penicillin class. It should not be confused with the antibiotic metacycline.-History:Methicillin was developed by Beecham in 1959...
-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus aureus is a facultative anaerobic Gram-positive coccal bacterium. It is frequently found as part of the normal skin flora on the skin and nasal passages. It is estimated that 20% of the human population are long-term carriers of S. aureus. S. aureus is the most common species of...
. The combination showed a synergistic effect
Sophoridine possesses antiviral activities against Coxsackievirus
Coxsackievirus
Coxsackievirus is a virus that belongs to a family of non enveloped linear positive-sense ssRNA viruses, Picornaviridae and the genus Enterovirus, which also includes poliovirus and echovirus. Enteroviruses are among the most common and important human pathogens and ordinarily its members are...
B3
Trifolirhizin, a pterocarpan
Pterocarpan
Pterocarpans are derivatives of isoflavonoids found in the Fabaceae family. It is a group of compounds which can be described as benzo-pyrano-furano-benzenes Pterocarpans are derivatives of isoflavonoids found in the Fabaceae family. It is a group of compounds which can be described as...
flavonoid
Flavonoid
Flavonoids , are a class of plant secondary metabolites....
, was isolated from the roots of Sophora flavescens and showed potential anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities.
Sophora could possibly be used as a treatment for mast cell-derived allergic inflammatory diseases.
Inhibitory effects on cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP450 3A4)
The methanol extract of Sophora flavescens showed a potent glycosidase inhibitory activity.
Chemistry=
More than 20 alkaloids are found in S. flavescens. Oxymatrine, sophoridine, oxysophocarpine, and sophocarpine are the major alkaloid
Alkaloid
Alkaloids are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that contain mostly basic nitrogen atoms. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Also some synthetic compounds of similar structure are attributed to alkaloids...
s present.
Other uses
A promising source of a natural, novel, new antifoulant.May make skin whiter color by inhibition on tyrosinase
Tyrosinase
Tyrosinase also known as monophenol monooxygenase is an enzyme that catalyses the oxidation of phenols and is widespread in plants and animals...
-dependent melanin
Melanin
Melanin is a pigment that is ubiquitous in nature, being found in most organisms . In animals melanin pigments are derivatives of the amino acid tyrosine. The most common form of biological melanin is eumelanin, a brown-black polymer of dihydroxyindole carboxylic acids, and their reduced forms...
biosynthesis. Therefore a potential source of novel whitening agents for ultraviolet (UV)-sensitive skin
Antifeedant effect against Formosan subterranean termite
Formosan subterranean termite
The Formosan subterranean termite is an invasive species of termite. It has been transported worldwide from its native range in southern China to Formosa and Japan...
(matrine
Matrine
Matrine is an alkaloid found in plants from the Sophora family. It has a variety of pharmacological effects, including anti-cancer effects, and action as a kappa opioid receptor agonist.Matrine possesses strong antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo...
and oxymatrine).
Growing, cultivation
An evergreen, slow growing shrub growing to 1.5 m by 1 m. It is hardy to US zone 6. Hardy to about 0–10 °F. The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil. Like many other species in the FabaceaeFabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
family, this species can fix nitrogen
Nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen fixation is the natural process, either biological or abiotic, by which nitrogen in the atmosphere is converted into ammonia . This process is essential for life because fixed nitrogen is required to biosynthesize the basic building blocks of life, e.g., nucleotides for DNA and RNA and...
.