Sophora flavescens

Sophora flavescens
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Sophora
Species:
S. flavescens
Binomial name
Sophora flavescens

Sophora flavescens, the shrubby sophora,[1] is a species of plant in the genus Sophora of the family Fabaceae. This genus contains about 52 species.[2] It mainly occurs in India, Japan, Korea and Russia.[3]

Description

Sophora flavescens can grow to a height of 2 m. Its stem is marked with stripes and covered in soft hairs when young. The leaves are usually 20-25 cm long, with lanceolate stipules and 13-25 elliptic, ovate, or lanceolate leaflets. The plant produces terminal racemes measuring 15-25 cm, with numerous flowers spaced widely apart. The flowers have slender pedicels and linear bracts with white, pale yellow, purple-red, or red spoon-shaped petals. It blooms from June to August and fruits from July to October.[3]

Distribution

Sophora flavescens is native to China and can be found in all provinces in China. It can be also found in India, Japan, Korea and the Russian Far East. It mainly grows on mountainous slopes, sandy grassland inclines, shrub forests, or around the fields, typically at elevations below 1500 meters.[3][4]

Growth and cultivation

Sophora flavescens is an evergreen slow growing shrub growing to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) by 1 m (3.3 ft). It is hardy to 0–10 °F (−18 – −12 °C) and to US zone 6. 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 family Fabaceae, this species can fix nitrogen.[citation needed]

Chemistry

Matrine (left) and its oxide

Chemical compounds isolated from S. flavescens include:

Toxicity

Toxic effects from use of the root may include nausea, dizziness, vomiting, constipation, spasms, disturbance of speech, irregular breathing, respiratory failure and death.[10]

References

  1. ^ NRCS. "Sophora flavescens". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  2. ^ Krishna, Panthati Murali; Knv, Rao; S, Sandhya; Banji, David (2012). "A review on phytochemical, ethnomedical and pharmacological studies on genus Sophora, Fabaceae". Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia. 22 (5): 1145–1154. doi:10.1590/S0102-695X2012005000043.
  3. ^ a b c "Sophora flavescens in Flora of China". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  4. ^ 中国植物志 [Flora of China] (PDF) (in Chinese). Vol. 40. 1994. pp. 81–83. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 May 2024.
  5. ^ Schwarte A 2002 Phytochemische und pharmakologische Untersuchungen der Wurzeln von Sophora flavescens,unter besonderer Berücksichtigung ihrer Wirkung auf die Leukotrien- und Prostaglandinbiosynthese Archived 14 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Cha, J.-D.; Moon, S.-E.; Kim, J.-Y.; Jung, E.-K.; Lee, Y.-S. (2009). "Antibacterial activity of sophoraflavanone G isolated from the roots of Sophora flavescens against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus". Phytotherapy Research. 23 (9): 1326–1331. doi:10.1002/ptr.2540. PMID 19288534. S2CID 3033936.
  7. ^ Choi, Byung-Min; Oh, Gi-Su; Lee, Jang Won; Mok, Ji Ye; Kim, Dae Keun; Jeong, Seung-Il; Jang, Seon Il (2010). "Prenylated chalcone from Sophora flavescens suppresses Th2 chemokine expression induced by cytokines via heme oxygenase-1 in human keratinocytes". Archives of Pharmacal Research. 33 (5): 753–760. doi:10.1007/s12272-010-0515-8. PMID 20512474. S2CID 41527720.
  8. ^ Tang KT, Lin CC, Lin SC, Wang JH, Tsai SW (2021). "Kurarinone Attenuates Collagen-Induced Arthritis in Mice by Inhibiting Th1/Th17 Cell Responses and Oxidative Stress". Int J Mol Sci. 22 (8): 4002. doi:10.3390/ijms22084002. PMC 8069507. PMID 33924467.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ Liu, G.; Dong, J.; Wang, H.; Hashi, Y.; Chen, S. (2011). "Characterization of alkaloids in Sophora flavescens Ait. by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry". Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis. 54 (5): 1065–1072. doi:10.1016/j.jpba.2010.12.024. PMID 21227622.
  10. ^ Bensky, Dan; Clavey, Steven; Stöger, Erich; Lai Bensky, Lilian (2015). Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica (Portable 3rd ed.). Seattle, USA: Eastland Press. pp. 575–578. ISBN 978-0-939616-82-4.