The present study investigated the sedative effects of Sophora flavescens (SF) and its bioactive compound, matrine through performing locomotor activity test and the electroencephalography (EEG) analysis in the rat. The underlying neural mechanism of their beneficial effects was determined by assessing c-Fos immunoreactivity and serotonin (5-HT) in the brain utilizing immunohistochemical method...

Sophora is a woody genus of the Leguminosae in which an unusual order and process of floral organ development is often observed. The SEM results for Sophora tetraptera revealed precocious initiation of the carpel, delayed development of petals, and floral organ development interrupted by an unusual prolonged summer-autumn dormant period which occurred between organ initiation and organ differen...

Our previous study showed that kurarinone was the main hepatotoxic ingredient of Sophora flavescens, accumulating in the liver. This study characterized the mechanism of Sophora flavescens extract (ESF) hepatotoxicity and hepatic accumulation of kurarinone. ESF impaired hepatic function and caused fat accumulation in the liver after oral administration (1.25 and 2.5 g/kg for 14 days in rats). S...

Previously, it was reported that some prenylated flavonoids contained in the dichloromethane fraction of the ethanolic extract of Sophora flavescens, such as kuraridin, sophoraflavanone G, kurarinone, and kushenol F, are tyrosinase inhibitors; however, based on the level of these inhibitors in the extract, its inhibitory effect on tyrosinase activity was higher than expected. This has led us to...

New Zealand became geographically isolated about 80 million years ago and this separation gave rise to a unique native flora including four genera of legume, Carmichaelia, Clianthus and Montigena in the Carmichaelinae clade, tribe Galegeae, and Sophora, tribe Sophoreae, sub-family Papilionoideae. Ten bacterial strains isolated from NZ Carmichaelinae growing in natural ecosystems grouped close t...