Chemical Constituents of Sophora tonkinensis

Sophora tonkinensis is the dry root and the rhizome of Sophora tonkinensis Gagnep, a Leguminosae sprawling dwarf shrub plant mainly originated from Guangxi and Guizhou, two provinces of China. It was firstly recorded in a Chinese medical book called “Kai Bao Ben Cao”. Its medicinal property is bitter cold and definitely toxic. The meridian tropism is in lung and stomach. The effects are heat-clearing and detoxicating, reducing swelling and relieving sore throat. In modern clinical medicine, it is commonly used to treat diseases like swollen sore throat, jaundice with damp-heat and arrhythmia. Here we will walk you through the recent studies on the chemical constituents of Sophora tonkinensis.

1. Alkaloids

Alkaloids separated from Sophora tonkinensis are divides into matrine-type, cytisine-type, sparteine-type and lupinine-type, which is the most common. The main effective constituents are matrine and oxymatrine, as well as sophocarpine, sophoridine, sophoramine, sophoranol, cytisine, N-caulophylline, anagyrine and oxysophocarpine. A research extracted 5α-hydroxysophocarpine, (+)-14α-hydroxymatrine, (-)-14β-hydroxymatrine, (+)-5α, 9α-dyhydroxymatrine and 9-hydroxymatrine from Sophora tonkinensis. With the continuous deepening of research, (-)-14β-carbethoxymatrine, (+)-14α-carbethoxymatrine, 13, 14-dehydrosophoranol and (-)-14β-hydroxyoxymatrine were separated successively.

2. Flavonoids

Flavonoids in Sophora tonkinensis are divided into sophoranone, sophoridine, sophorado-chromene and new flavone glycosides I-VII. Later on, sophora flavone A, sophora flavone B, baying, sophoranone, sophoradin, sophoranochromene, sophoradochromene, genistein, pterocarpin, maackian, sitosterol, lupeol, glabrol, genistein, maackiain, trifolirhizin, quercetin, rutin, isorhamnetin-3-rutoside, formononetin, 8-methylretusin, (-)-trifolirhizin. Six new flavone glycosides compounds were separated, including tonkinochromane A. A Chinese investigator named Long Jinqiao firstly separated glycyrrhizin and 7, 4-dyhydroxyflavone from Guangxi Sophora tonkinensis.

3. Polysaccharide

In a study,8 polysaccharides were successively extracted with hot water, 1mol. L-1 NaOH, 2.5mol. L-1 NaOH after degreasing Sophora tonkinensis: SSa-1, SSa-2, SSa-3, SSa-4 and SSb-1 FA, SSb-2, SSb-3, SSc-1. Researchersused DEAE-cellulose ion-exchange chromatography and Sephadex G-100 gel chromatography to separate and purify and obtained water-soluble polysaccharide SSP1.

4. Triterpenoid

Triterpene and triterpenoid saponin that Sophora tonkinensis contains mainly belong to oleanene-type and some individuals belong to lupinane-type. Sophora tonkinensis contains abrisapogenol C, D, E, H, I, cantoniensistriol, kudzusapogenol A, melilotigenin, wistariasapogenol A, lupeol, kaikasaponin II, III, subprogenin A-D, soyasapogenol A and B, abrisapogenin I, dehydrosoyasaponin I, subpmside I-VII, sophoradiol, soyasaponin A, B, A3, 3-O-[α-L-rhamnosyl (1-2) -D-galactoside-(1-2)-β-D-glucosyl] soyasapogenolmethylester.

5. Other constituents

There are also other constituents of phenolic compounds, coumarin, anthraquinone, sterol, caffeic acid, fatty acid, protein and amino acid existing in Sophora tonkinensis like piscidicacidmonoethylester, maltol, vanillic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, dodecyl caffeinate, rheum emodin, physcion and β-sitosterol. The microelements of iron, copper, zinc and manganese in Sophora tonkinensis are all very abundant. Meanwhile, there are infinitesimal harmful elements of cadmium and lead existing in Sophora tonkinensis.

 

Sophora tonkinensis has rich chemical constituents and wide pharmacological activities as well as potential value in use. However, researches of pharmacological effects at present mainly focus on alkaloids and polysaccharide, while there are few reports about pharmacological effects of flavonoids, triterpenes and other constituents, which have yet to been further studied.

 

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