Radix Sophorae Flavescentis is the root of Sophora flavescens Ait. It has been used to treat abscess, edema, dysentery, eczema, ulcers, skin burns, skin itch and atopic dermatitis in traditional medicine for thousands of years 1, 2, 3.
Radix Sophorae Flavesentis contains flavonoids and alkaloids such as matrine and oxymatrine. Literatures show Radix Sophorae Flavescentis has effects of anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic activities 1, 2, 3, 4. The topical application of Sophorae radix in mice with contact dermatitis and in vitro using RBL-2H3 cells decreased the production levels of interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in vivo, suppressed the release of histamine and beta-hexosaminidase, and inhibited against recruitment and degranulation of mast cells 1. Suo and colleagues demonstrated that matrine prevented tissue from inflammation damage through improving nitric oxide dependent vasomotion and inhibiting inflammatory cytokines induced by lipopolysaccharide in rat intestinal microvascular endothelial cells 5.
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a key role in regulating the activation of the innate immune response to microbial genomes such as viral DNA, bacterial DNA, ssRNA, and viral dsRNA. TLR3 is an important detector of viral infections and an initiator of the immune response. Literatures illustrate that norkurarinol, a flavanone isolated from the Radix Sophorae Flavescentis, has anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-influenza, and glycosidase inhibitory activities 6,7,8,9,10. Oh and colleagues reported that norkurarinol inhibited the TLR3-mediated pro-inflammatory signaling pathway and rotavirus-induced cytopathic effects 11.
Radix Sophorae Flavescentis (light yellow sophora root) is one of the active ingredients in both Unitech Medical® CamWell™ Hand to Heal™ and Herb to Soothe™ botanical creams.
References
- Kim H, et al. Effect of sophora flavescens aiton extract on degranulation of mast cells and contact dermatitis induced by dinitrofluorobenzene in mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2012 June;142(1):253-8.
- in JH, et al. Anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activity of total flavonoids of the roots of Sophora flavescens. J Ethnopharmacol. 2010 Feb 17;127(3):589-95.
- Quan W, et al. Anti-allergic prenylated flavonoids from the roots of Sophora flavescens. Planta Med. 2008 Feb;74(2):168-70.
- Li W, et al. Main flavonoids from Sophora flavescens. Yao Xue Xue Bao. 2008 Aug;43(8):833-7.
- Suo Z, et al. Impact of matrine on inflammation related factors in rat intestinal microvascular endothelial cells. J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Sept 25;125(3):404-9.
- Jeong TS, et al. Low density lipoprotein (LDL)-antioxidant flavonoids from roots of Sophora flavescens. Biol Pham Bull. 2008;31:2097-2102.
- Kim JH, et al. Glycosidase inhibitory flavonoids from Sophora flavescens. Biol Pharm Bull. 2006;29:302-305.
- Kuroyanagi M, et al. Antibacterial and antiandrogen flavonoids from Sophora flavescens. J Nat Prod. 1999;62:1595-1599.
- Ryu YB, et al. Pterocarpans and flavanones from Sophora flavescens displaying potent neuraminidase inhibition. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2008;18:6046-6049.
- Son JK, et al. Prenylated flavonoids from the roots of Sophora flavescens with tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Planta Med. 2003;69:559-561.
- Oh HM, et al. Norkurarinol inhibits toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3)-mediated pro-inflammatory signaling pathway and rotavirus replication. J Pharmacol Sci. 2012;118(2):161-70.