Analysis and evaluation of alkaloids and flavonoids in flower of Sophora flavescens from Shanxi province

Abstract

This study intends to explore the potential resource-orientedutilization value of the flower of Sophora flavescents by analyzing alkaloids and flavonoids in the flower of S. flavescens from Shanxi province. This study established a rapid UPLC-TQ-MS/MS method that is used for determination of seven alkaloids and seven flavonoids in the flower of S.flavescens. The different florescences all have the seven detected alkaloids such as cytisine, oxy-matrine, oxy-sophocarpine, sophoridine, N-methylcytisine, matrine, sophocarpine.The total contents of detected alkaloids are as follows: flower buds 1.47%, primal flowers 1.34%, full bloomed flowers 1.17%, faded flowers 1.01%. The top three contents of alkaloids are N-methylcytisine , oxy-sophocarpine and oxymatrine, accounting for about 83% of the total amount of detected alkaloids. All the samples in different florescences have the seven detected flavonoids such as rutin, luteolin, quercetin, isoquercitrin, trifolirhizin, kurarinone, and kushenol I. The total contents of detected alkaloids are as follows: flower buds 495.2 μg•g⁻¹, primal flowers 313.7 μg•g⁻¹, faded flowers 224.2 μg•g⁻¹, full bloomed flowers 193.0 μg•g⁻¹. The content of luteolinis relatively higher than other detected flavonoids, accounting for about 89%-94% of the total amount of detected flavonoids. The results indicated that the flower of S.flavescens could be an important material resource to obtain the resourceful alkaloids. This result can provide scientific basis for resource-oriented utilization and industrial development of the flower of S. flavescens.

Research Progress in the Pharmacological Activities, Toxicities, and Pharmacokinetics of Sophoridine and Its Derivatives

“…Sophoridine is a metabolite in plant metabolism and is reportedly one of the major alkaloids in several representative plants, such as Sophora flavescens Alt , 1 Sophora alopecuroides L , 2 Sophora viciifolia Hance 3 and Oxytropis ochrocephala Bunge . 4 It is found primarily in the roots, flowers, and seeds of the aforementioned plants.…”

“…Currently, various plant-derived metabolites are increasingly being used in drug synthesis or semi-synthesis, with a variety of plant extracts seeing extensive use in the treatment of specific diseases. Nitrogen compounds play specific roles in different plant secondary metabolites, including sophoridine, a widely distributed natural quinolizidine alkaloid ( Figure 1A ) that can be isolated and identified in the Leguminosae of the leguminous family, like Sophora flavescens Alt , 1 Sophora alopecuroides L 2 and Sophora viciifolia Hance . 3 The pharmacological activities of sophoridine, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-arrhythmia, and analgesic properties, have been reported broadly in recent years.…”