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Glycosylated flavonols were characterized in the extracts of Rhamnus petiolaris and Rhamnus utilis, by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with photo diode and mass spectrometric detectors (HPLC-PDA-MS). The main dye components are rhamnetin-3-O-rhamninoside for R. petiolaris and kaempferol-3-O-rhamninoside for R. utilis. Based on this information, the yellow dye used in the wall cloth in the Palace Museum can be identified as R. petiolaris or a closely related species. In the case of the wallpaper (which was under the wall cloth), the main flavonoid found was rutin, suggesting that it was dyed with buds of pagoda tree (Sophora japonica), a dye traditionally used in China. The results presented here provide valuable information in regard to reconstitution of the late Qing dynasty (1840–1912 AD) wall coverings. In addition to HPLC-PDA-MS analysis, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was used to tentatively identify yellow dyes in the two historical artifacts. Only a 1 mm length of single fiber, obtained from each Qing dynasty sample, was needed for comparison with the SERS data of dye references. This ultra-sensitive method is suitable for situations where sampling is restricted to trace amounts.

Antioxidant films were prepared by mixing Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch. gum (ASKG) with sophora japonica extract (SJE). The physical properties, antioxidant properties and application of lard preservation were analyzed. New intermolecular hydrogen bonds formed between SJE and ASKG molecules with the addition of SJE. When the content of SJE increased, elongation at break, light transmission values at 600 nm and tensile strength of the films decreased from 60.60 to 23.00 %, from 57.51 to 10.65 % and from 31.26 to 25.99 MPa, respectively. When the SJE content was 1 %, the oxygen permeability of the films was lowest, and the value was 0.0091 cm3 mm m−2 day-1 atm-1. However, the total phenolic content and DPPH scavenging activity of the films increased significantly with SJE addition. Moreover, the films had an inhibitory effect on the oxidation of oil. These findings indicate that the films can be applied to oil preservation packaging to alleviate oil deterioration and improve oil quality.

A new method has been proposed for enhancing extraction yield of rutin from Sophora japonica, in which a novel ultrasonic extraction system has been developed to perform the determination of optimum ultrasonic frequency by a two-step procedure. This study has systematically investigated the influence of a continuous frequency range of 20-92 kHz on rutin yields. The effects of different operating conditions on rutin yields have also been studied in detail such as solvent concentration, solvent to solid ratio, ultrasound power, temperature and particle size. A higher extraction yield was obtained at the ultrasonic frequency of 60-62 kHz which was little affected under other extraction conditions. Comparative studies between existing methods and the present method were done to verify the effectiveness of this method. Results indicated that the new extraction method gave a higher extraction yield compared with existing ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and soxhlet extraction (SE). Thus, the potential use of this method may be promising for extraction of natural materials on an industrial scale in the future.

A new maltol derivative (2) along with three known maltol derivative (1) and flavonol glycosides (3 and 4) were isolated from the dried flowers of Sophora japonica. Based upon the results of combined spectroscopic methods, the structure of new compound (2) was determined to be maltol-3-O-(4'-O-cis-p-coumaroyl-6'-O-(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaroyl))-β-glucopyranoside, an isomer of 1. These compounds strongly inhibited the action of sortase A (SrtA) from Streptococcus mutans, a primary etiologic agent of human dental caries. The onset and magnitude of inhibition of the saliva-induced aggregation in S. mutans treated with compound 2 (4×IC50) were comparable to the behavior of untreated srtA-deletion mutant.

National Basic Research Program of China [2013CB733505]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [51378444]; programe for New Century Excellent Talents in University [NCET-13-0501]

Sophoricoside (SOPH) is an isoflavone isolated from Sophora japonica (Leguminosae). In this study, the inhibitory effect of SOPH on contact dermatitis was investigated. At dosages of 3 and 10 mg/kg, SOPH ameliorated 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced acute and chronic contact dermatitis by 50–70%. As cellular targets, SOPH mainly affected the functions of B cells rather than T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells. As signaling targets, SOPH inhibited the phosphorylation and degradation of IκBα/β and the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 in B cells, but not in dendritic cells and macrophages. SOPH did not affect the phosphorylation of ERK, p38, and JNK MAPKs, in B cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages. Taken together, these results suggest that SOPH ameliorates contact dermatitis by inhibiting mainly NF-κB signaling in B cells.

High levels of 4-methyleneglutamine accumulate in the roots and leaves of Sophora japonica , but no detectable amounts of 4-methyleneglutamic acid and only trace quantities of 2-oxo-4-methyleneglutaric acid are seen. 4-Methylglutamic acid, however, is present in leaves and roots at a level 5–25% of that found for 4-methyleneglutamine; 2-oxo-4-methylglutaric acid is the most abundant keto acid detected in 28-day leaf extracts, but no 4-methylglutamine is seen. Transamination by pig heart glutamate: oxalacetate aminotransferase of the 2-oxo-4-methylglutaric acid that occurs in this species yields erythro -4-methylglutamic acid; the 2-oxo acid, therefore, has the (4 R ) configuration. The 4-methylglutamic acid isolated from this plant is also the erythro isomer and is probably of the (2 S , 4 R ) configuration. This is the first report of the presence of 4-substituted glutamic acids in Sophora and the first instance where high levels of 4-methyleneglutamine are present in the absence of detectable levels of 4-methyleneglutamic acid.

Since hapten inhibition of precipitation is relatively time consuming, we have developed a hapten inhibition of adsorption assay to explore the sugar binding specificity of the Sophora japonica lectin. Adsorbents were prepared with Sephadex and p-aminophenyl beta-D-galactopyranoside using the CNBr procedure. The ability of simple saccharides to inhibit the binding of lectin to the adsorbent was performed employing a fixed amount of adsorption with respect to the logarithm of micromoles of inhibitor yielded sigmoid shaped curves. The quantities of various saccharides required to cause 50% inhibition of the lectin--adsorbent interaction relative to D-galactose were within+/-5% of the relative inhibiting potencies of the sugars in

The results of comparative toxicity tests on rutins isolated from Sophora japonica (Papilionaceae) and Fagopyrum esculentum (Polygonaceae) are presented. The acute toxicity of S. japonica rutin when administered intravenously to mice does not differ from that of F. esculentum. The absorption spectra of the two rutins in the ultraviolet are identical.

Rutinose and sophorose were present in hydrolyzates of Sophora japonica pods, and rutinose was present in similar hydrolyzates of the leaves. Neither sophorabiose nor any other oligosaccharides were detected in these hydrolyzates. Similar hydrolyzates of Sophora tetraptera pods and leaves and Sophora microphylla and Sophora prostrata pods contained no oligosaccharides. Enzyme extracts of S. tetraptera pods but not those of S. japonica pods or leaves contained β-glucosidase activity. The method for the isolation of sophorose from S. japonica pods has been modified.