Flavonoids and phenolic acids from the roots of Sophora tonkinensis Gagnep

Sophorae tonkinensis radix et rhizoma: A comprehensive review of the ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicology and detoxification strategy

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Sophorae tonkinensis Radix et Rhizoma (STR), the dried root and rhizome of Sophora tonkinensis Gagnep., is commonly used in the treatment of tonsillitis and pharyngitis, throat soreness and throat obstruction, swelling and aching of gum, etc. in China or other Asian countries. STR is usually used as the core herb in traditional Chinese medicine preparations, such as "Biyanling Tablets", "Fufang Muji Granules" and "Ganyanling Injections", etc. AIM OF THE REVIEW: This review aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of STR in terms of botany, traditional use, phytochemistry, ethnopharmacology, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicology and detoxification strategy, to provide a rational application in future research.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The information involved in the study was gathered from a variety of electronic resources, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), SciFinder, Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and Chinese Masters and Doctoral Dissertations.

RESULTS

Till now, a total of 333 chemical components have been identified in STR, including 85 alkaloids, 124 flavonoids, 24 triterpenes, 27 triterpene saponins, 34 organic acids, 8 polysaccharides, etc. STR and its main active constituents have cardiovascular protection, anti-tumor activity, anti-inflammatory activity, antipyretic activity, analgesic activity, antibacterial activity, antifungal activity, antiviral activity, and hepatoprotective activity, etc. However, toxic effects of STR on the liver, nerves, heart, and gastrointestinal tract have also been observed. To mitigate these risks, STR needs attenuation before use, with the most common detoxification methods being processing and combined use with other drugs. The pharmacokinetics of STR in vivo and traditional and clinical prescriptions containing STR have been sorted out. Despite the potential therapeutic benefits of STR, further research is warranted to elucidate its hepatotoxicity, particularly in vivo, exploring aspects such as in vivo metabolism, distribution, and mechanisms.

CONCLUSION

This review serves to emphasize the therapeutic potential of STR and highlights the crucial need to address its toxicity concerns before considering clinical application. Further research is required to comprehensively investigate the toxicological properties of STR, with particular emphasis on its hepatotoxicity and neurotoxicity. Such research endeavors have the potential to standardize the rational application of STR for optimal therapeutic outcomes.

Unusual N-pyridinium amino acid-type alkaloids from roots and rhizomes of Sophora tonkinensis Gagnep

Two previously undescribed amino acid-type alkaloids with unusual N-pyridinium cation (1-2) and six known alkaloids (3-8), were isolated from the roots and rhizomes of Sophora tonkinensis Gapnea. Their structures were characterized by UV, IR, NMR, and HRESIMS spectroscopic data. The absolute configurations of compounds 1 and 2 were established through comparison of their experimental ECD spectra to the theoretical spectra of 2 calculated by TDDFT method. The plausible biosynthetic pathway of pyridinium was also proposed. Moreover, compound 4 exhibited weak XOD inhibitory activity with the inhibition rate of 65.8% at concentration of 10 μM.

Biological Activities and Secondary Metabolites from Sophora tonkinensis and Its Endophytic Fungi

The roots of Sophora tonkinensis Gagnep., a traditional Chinese medicine, is known as Shan Dou Gen in the Miao ethnopharmacy. A large number of previous studies have suggested the usage of S. tonkinensis in the folk treatment of lung, stomach, and throat diseases, and the roots of S. tonkinensis have been produced as Chinese patent medicines to treat related diseases. Existing phytochemical works reported more than 300 compounds from different parts and the endophytic fungi of S. tonkinensis. Some of the isolated extracts and monomer compounds from S. tonkinensis have been proved to exhibit diverse biological activities, including anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and so on. The research progress on the phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of S. tonkinensis have been systematically summarized, which may be useful for its further research.

Genus Sophora: a comprehensive review on secondary chemical metabolites and their biological aspects from past achievements to future perspectives

Sophora is deemed as one of the most remarkable genera of Fabaceae, and the third largest family of flowering plants. The genus Sophora comprises approximately 52 species, 19 varieties, and 7 forms that are widely distributed in Asia and mildly in Africa. Sophora species are recognized to be substantial sources of broad spectrum biopertinent secondary metabolites namely flavonoids, isoflavonoids, chalcones, chromones, pterocarpans, coumarins, benzofuran derivatives, sterols, saponins (mainly triterpene glycosides), oligostilbenes, and mainly alkaloids. Meanwhile, extracts and isolated compounds from Sophora have been identified to possess several health-promising effects including anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, antiplatelets, antipyretic, anticancer, antiviral, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-osteoporosis, anti-ulcerative colitis, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, antidiarrheal, and insecticidal activities. Herein, the present review aims to provide comprehensive details about the phytochemicals and biological effects of Sophora species. The review spotlighted on the promising phytonutrients extracted from Sophora and their plethora of bioactivities. The review also clarifies the remaining gaps and thus qualifies and supplies a platform for further investigations of these compounds.

Baicalin mediated regulation of key signaling pathways in cancer

Baicalin has been widely investigated against different types of malignancies both at the cellular and molecular levels over the past few years. Due to its remarkable anti-proliferative potential in numerous cancer cell lines, it has created immense interest as a potential chemotherapeutic modality compared to other flavonoids. Thus, this review focuses on the recent accomplishments of baicalin and its limitations in cancer prevention and treatment. Further, combination studies and nanoformulations using baicalin to treat cancer along with the metabolism, bioavailability, toxicity, and pharmacokinetics have been discussed. The present review explains biological source, and anti-proliferative potential of baicalin against cancers including breast, colon, hepatic, leukemia, lung, and skin, as well as the relevant mechanism of action to modulate diverse signaling pathways including apoptosis, cell cycle, invasion, and migration, angiogenesis, and autophagy. The anticancer mechanism of baicalin in orthotropic and xenograft mice models have been deliberated. The combination studies of baicalin in novel therapies as chemotherapeutic adjuvants have also been summarized. The low bioavailability, fast metabolism, and poor solubility, and other significant factors that limit the clinical use of baicalin have been examined as a challenge. The improvement in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of baicalin with newer approaches and the gaps are highlighted, which could establish baicalin as an effective and safe compound for cancer treatment as well as help to translate its potential from bench to bedside.