To investigate the effects of six common drying methods on the quality of different specifications of Sophorae Flos, in order to select their suitable drying methods. According to appearance and morphology, Sophorae Flos was divided into the following three specifications: flower bud type(HL), half-open type(BK) and blooming type(SK). All specifications of samples were treated with shade-drying method(25 ℃, natural temperature), sun-drying method, hot-air-drying method(60, 105 ℃), and drying method(60 ℃) after steaming. The contents of total flavonoids, rutin, narcissus, quercetin, isorhamnetin, and Fe~(3+) reducing ability, DPPH free radical scavenging ability, ABTS free radical scavenging ability and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching(FRAP) were detected by UV, HPLC and colorimetry, respectively. Principal component analysis(PCA), cluster analysis(CA) and correlation analysis were used to comprehensively evaluate the quality of samples. According to the results, there were significant differences in the effect of drying methods on different specifications of samples. The drying method(60 ℃) after steaming was suitable for HL and BK, while the hot-air-drying method(60 ℃) was suitable for SK. When the fresh medicinal materials could not be treated in time, they should be spread out in a cool and ventilated place. Under high and low temperature conditions, the quality of three specifications of Sophorae Flos would be reduced. The hot-air-drying method(105 ℃) and shade-drying method(25 ℃) were not suitable for the treatment of fresh flowers and flower buds of Sophora japonicus. There were obviously differences of chemical compositions and antioxidant activities among the three specifications of samples. Therefore, the specifications of medicinal materials should be controlled to ensure the uniform quality. The study provided the abundant data reference for the selection of appropriate drying methods for the three specifications of Sophorae Flos, and useful exploration for the classification and processing of medicinal materials of flowers.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Flavonoids/analysis* ; Flowers/chemistry* ; Rutin ; Sophora

Sugar-poison caused blood-heat is the pathological basis of many complications of diabetes. Advanced glycation end products( AGEs) are considered as the potential glycotoxic factor that can cause blood-heat. Sophorae Flos hold the effect of removing pathogenic heat from blood. In this study,chromatographic non-enzymatic glycation reaction system of bovine serum albumin( BSA)/methylglyoxal( MGO) and Sophorae Flos was established to identify active components in Sophorae Flos inhibiting AGEs formation. The HPLC was used to analyze chromatograms before and after the incubation of Sophorae Flos and methylglyoxal. Changes of chromatographic peaks of eight compounds was found. It is speculated that this change may be due to new substance produced by the reaction of active components in Sophorae Flos and methylglyoxal,and these active components may be flavonoid component rutin. Further investigation for the effects of rutin and MGO reaction( 1 ∶ 1,1 ∶ 3,3 ∶ 1) for 6 days on the formation of AGEs was performed. The results showed that the inhibition activity of rutin on AGEs production was most obvious when the reaction ratio was 1 ∶3,and the most inhibition was in 24 h and stabilized after 3 d. The product of the reaction of rutin with MGO was identified by LC-ESI-MS/MS,which indicated that the newly formed seven substances were the mono-and di-MGO adducts of rutin. This study showed that rutin is the active component on Sophorae Flos for removing pathogenic heat from blood by forming new compounds to inhibit the formation of sugar poison products,which provides reference for rational application of Sophorae Flos.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Flowers ; chemistry ; Glycation End Products, Advanced ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Pyruvaldehyde ; Rutin ; chemistry ; Sophora ; chemistry ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

To investigate the effects of essential oil from three kinds of pungent herbs,namely Menthae Haplocalycis Herba,Atractylodis Rhizoma and Cnidii Fructus,on the transdermal absorption in vitro of alkaloids from Sophorae Flavescentis Radix. The modified vertical Franz diffusion cell was used to conduct a transdermal experiment in vitro with the isolated abdominal skin of the SD rats as the transdermal absorption barrier. The effects of such three kinds of pungent essential oil on percutaneous absorption of alkaloids from Sophorae Flavescentis Radix were investigated by determining the content of 6 alkaloids( oxymatrine,oxysophocarpine,N-methylcytisine,sophoridine,matrine,and sophocarpidine) in the transdermal acceptor with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadruple mass spectrometry( UPLC-TQ-MS) technique simultaneously. With enhancement ratio( ER) as the index,their effects on promoting penetration was as follows: 1% Atractylodis Rhizoma oil > 1% Cnidii Fructus oil > 3% Azone ≈ 3% Atractylodis Rhizoma oil > 5%Atractylodis Rhizoma oil > 3% Cnidii Fructus oil ≈ 5% Cnidii Fructus oil > 3% Menthae Haplocalycis Herba oil > 5% Menthae Haplocalycis Herba oil > 1% Menthae Haplocalycis Herba oil > Blank. The results showed that these three kinds of pungent essential oil could be used as enhancers for alkaloids of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix,providing scientific guidance for improving percutaneous absorption of alkaloids from Sophorae Flavescentis Radix.
Alkaloids ; metabolism ; Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; metabolism ; Oils, Volatile ; pharmacology ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skin Absorption ; Sophora ; chemistry

Aromatic constituents from rhizomes of Sophora tonkinensis were purified by extensive chromatographic techniques including column chromatography over macroporous resin,MCI,silica gel,weak acid cation exchange resin,Sephadex LH-20,ODS,and semi-preparative HPLC. Twelve aromatic compounds were isolated and identified from the water aqueous extract of the rhizomes of S.tonkinensis. Their structures were elucidated as 4-( 3-hydroxypropyl) phenol( 1),( ±)-4-( 2-hydroxypropyl) phenol( 2),benzamide( 3),( ±)-3-( p-methoxyphenyl)-1,2-propanediol( 4),4-methoxybenzamide( 5),3-hydroxy-1-( 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) propan-1-one( 6),tyrosol( 7),( ±)-2,3-dihydroxypropyl benzoate( 8),vanillin alcohol( 9),7,3'-dihydroxy-8,4'-dimethoxyisoflavone( 10),7,4'-dihydroxy-3'-methoxyisoflavone( 11),and 7,3'-dihydroxy-5'-methoxyisoflavone( 12). Compounds 1-9 were firstly isolated from the Sophora genus. Compounds 4,5,10 and 11 can remarkably protect Hep G2 cell against APAP-induced damage at the concentration of 10 μmol·L-1. Compounds 1-12 exhibited no significant activities on the assays of inhibition of LPS-induced NO production in RAW cell lines and NF-κB inhibition.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Rhizome/chemistry* ; Sophora/chemistry*

Sophorae Flavescentis Radix (Sophora flavescens Ait., SFR) and Sophorae Tonkinensis Radix et Rhizoma (S. tonkinensis Gapnep., STR) are two commonly used traditional Chinese medicines from Sophora (Leguminosae) plants, which are believed to possess similar bioactive components with entirely different clinical applications. In order to find out the characteristic chemical constituents potentially leading to the unique medicinal properties claimed for each of the two closely related TCMs, an HPLC fingerprint method was developed for analyses of the alkaloid and flavonoid constituents of SFR and STR, respectively, which were further evaluated and compared through similarity calculation and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). The results from the present study showed that the alkaloid fingerprints of the two herbs were similar, with many components co-existing in both drugs and various batches of samples from different species being mixed together in the HCA dendrogram. However, their flavonoid constituents were totally different with specific fingerprints being yielded for each herb, and further HCA analysis showed that the tested samples could almost be clearly divided into two groups based on their origins of species. The results from the present study indicated that the flavonoid constituents could serve as the differentially diagnostic constituents of SFR and STR and might potentially attributed to their distinct therapeutic effects.
Alkaloids ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Discriminant Analysis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Flavonoids ; analysis ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Sophora ; chemistry ; classification

Parasite infections of humans and animals remain a major global health problem, with limited choice of drugs being available to the treatment of parasitosis in the clinic. Sophora moorcroftiana (S. moorcroftiana) is a shrub that grows in Tibet Plateau of China. Decoction of the seeds has been used as a traditional Tibetan medicine to treat parasitosis for years. But the anti-parasitic effects of water-soluble fractions in the seeds need further investigation. In the present study, the water-soluble alkaloid fractions (E2) were obtained from S. moorcroftiana seeds by refluxing extraction with 60% ethanol and low polarity fraction (E2-a) and high polarity fraction (E2-b) were subsequently isolated from E2 using column chromatography. As a parasite model, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) were treated with different fractions and their survivals were recorded. The results showed that that E2-a induced a lower survival rate in C. elegans than E2-b and E2. The protoscoleces of Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus) were cultured in the presence of E2-a. Compared with E2-b and E2, protoscoleces exhibited decreased survival rate following E2-a treatment. Furtherly, the effects of E2-a on the behavior, brood size, and lifespan of the worms were investigated. Body bend frequencies of the worms treated with the high concentration of E2-a were reduced by two-thirds compared with the control group (P < 0.01). Compared with non-E2-a-treated group, exposure of nematodes to E2-a led to a decrease in head thrashes and pharyngeal pumps frequency (P < 0.01). E2-a treatment resulted in a significantly lower brood size (P < 0.01). Additional E2-a treatment induced a significantly shortened lifespan, compared with the control (P < 0.05). These findings indicated that water-soluble fraction E2-a from S. moorcroftiana seeds was a potential helminthic agent.
Animals ; Anthelmintics ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; Caenorhabditis elegans ; drug effects ; physiology ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; Echinococcosis ; drug therapy ; parasitology ; Echinococcus granulosus ; drug effects ; physiology ; Humans ; Seeds ; chemistry ; Sophora ; chemistry

Sophora moorcroftiana (S. moorcroftiana) is an endemic leguminous dwarf shrub in Tibet, China. Decoctions of the seeds have been used in Chinese folk medicine for dephlogistication, detoxication, and infectious diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the constituent and biological effects of polysaccharides from S. moorcroftiana seeds in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Polysaccharides from S. moorcroftiana seeds (SMpol) were extracted with 60% ethanol and constituent was analyzed by GC-MS. SMpol was composed of glucose, galactose and inositol in the molar ratio of 35.7 : 1.3 : 17.0. Synchronized worms were treated with SMpol and then lifespan, motility, reproduction, stress resistance and antimicrobial activity were examined. Compared with the control group, the lifespan was increased to the average of 27.3 days and the number of laying eggs showed a 1.3-fold increase in nematodes treated with SMpol (4 mg·mL). In SMpol (4 mg·mL) treated worms, there was a 1.1-fold increase in 24-h survival of acute heat stress and a 1.6-fold increase in 2-h survival of oxidative stress The colonization of the bacteria in the SMpol treated nematode was significantly lower than that of the untreated group by 68.3%. In vivo studies showed SMpol significantly extended the life span, improved reproduction, increased stress resistance and antimicrobial capacity of C. elegans. In conclusion, those results indicated that the polysaccharides from S. moorcroftiana seeds were involved in a variety of biological activities leading to its modulatory effects on C. elegans which may be developed as a natural supplement agent.
Animals ; Caenorhabditis elegans ; drug effects ; physiology ; Longevity ; drug effects ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Polysaccharides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Reproduction ; drug effects ; Seeds ; chemistry ; Sophora ; chemistry ; Stress, Physiological ; drug effects

It was aimed at exploring the potential pharmacological effects of alkaloids in Sophora alopecuroides by means of network pharmacology in this study. The main alkaloids in S. alopecuroides were collected for analysis of drug properties, prediction of potential targets and screening of signaling pathways. DAVID analysis tool combined with KEGG database was used to annotate and analyze the signaling pathway. The alkaloids-targets-signaling pathways network was built through Cytoscape software. Results showed that 17 alkaloids in S. alopecuroides involved 49 targets (170 times in all) and 22 important signaling pathways. Three nodes in model of network pharmacology were cross-linked, and the metabolic pathways were coordinated and regulated by each other. It indicated that alkaloids in S. alopecuroides may have therapeutic effect on diseases of cancer, metabolic disorder, endocrine system, digestive system, nervous system and so on.
Alkaloids ; pharmacology ; Phytochemicals ; pharmacology ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Sophora ; chemistry

Sixteen compounds have been isolated from the EtOAc fraction of 95% ethanolic extract of Sophora dunnii through silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and semi-prerarative HPLC column chromatographies. Their structures were identified on the basis of NMR and MS spectra data as phaseollidin (1), L-maackiain (2), 2-(2',4'-dihidroxyphenyl)-5,6-methylenedioxy benzofuran (3), 8-demethyl-farrerol (4), liquiritigenin (5), genistein (6), 6-methylgenistein (7), 5-O-methyl genistein (8), 7,2',4'-trihydroxys-5-methoxy-isoflavanone (9), 7, 3', 4'-trihydroxy-isoflavanone (10), erythribyssin D (11), calycosin (12), trans-resveratrol (13), cis-resveratrol (14), stigmasterol (15), β-sitosterol (16). Among these, compounds 1-14 and 16 were isolated from this plant for the first time.
Chemical Fractionation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Sophora ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

To investigate the effect of flavonoids from Sophora flavescens in aging mice induced by D-galactose and its mechanism. Totally 60 mice were randomly divided into six groups: the control group, the model group, the piracetam group (positive control group) and flavonoids from S. flavescens low, medium and high doses groups. Except for the control group, all of the rest groups were subcutaneously injected with D-galactose (160 mg x kg(-1)) for successively 30 days to establish the sub-acute senescent model. Meanwhile, flavonoids from S. flavescens low, medium and high doses groups were respectively administered with 150, 300 and 600 mg xkg-('1)of flavonoids from S. flavescens for 30 days. The learning and memory abilities of mice were determined by avoiding darkness ex-eriment and jumping stair experiment. The contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) tumor necrosis factor-aα NF-aα the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) Na'(+)K'(+)-ATPase and Ca2(+ )-ATPase in the brain of mice were deter-ined respectively after the behavioral experiments. The activity of lactic dehydrogenase ( DH) in blood serum was also determined and analyzed by microscope after HE staining to observe the changes in hippocampal organizational structure. Compared with the model group, flavonoids from S. favescens medium and high doses groups showed significantly increases in the latency of avoiding darkness and jumping stair experiments; flavonoids from S. fllvescens low, medium and high doses groups and the piracetam group showed de-reases in the numbers of errors in avoiding darkness experiment; the flavonoids from S. flavescens high dose group and the piracetam group showed reduction- n the number of errors in jumping stair experiment (P <0 . 5 or P <0 . 1). Flavonoids from S. flavescens me-ium and high doses groups and the piracetam group showed improvements in the activities of SOD, Na'(+)K'(+)ATPase in the brain of mice and declines in the contents of MDA and TNF-aα the activity of MAO-B in the brain of mice, the activity of LDH in blood serum (P <0 . 5 or P <0 . 1). Flavonoids from S. flavescens low, medium and high doses groups and the piracetam group also showed im-rovement in the activity of Ca2(+ )ATPase, with statistical difference from the model group (P <0 . 5 or P <0 . 1). The pathological result showed decreases in the number of cells of hippocampal dentate gyrus area, sparse cell arrangement, incomplete cellular mor-hology, scarce cytoplasm, blurred boundary between nucleus and cytoplasm, nuclei anachromasis, irregular pyknosis and unconspicu-us nucleoli in the model group. Compared with the model group, flavonoids from S. flavescens low, medium and high doses groups and the piracetam group showed improvements in hippocampal organization tissues. Flavonoids from S. favescens can improve the learning and memory ability of senescent mice induced by D-galactose. Its mechanism may be correlated with the enhancement of anti-oxidative actions by lowering TNF-aαcontent, which results in the stability of cell membrane and the reduction in MAO-B activity.
Aging ; drug effects ; metabolism ; psychology ; Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Flavonoids ; administration & dosage ; Galactose ; adverse effects ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Learning ; drug effects ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Mice ; Sophora ; chemistry ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism