Sophocarpine is an alkaloid that has been found in S. flavescens roots and has diverse biological activities.1,2,3,4,5 It is cytotoxic to HL-60, U937, K562, EC109, A549, and HepG2 cancer cells (IC50s = 1.64-12.86 mM).1 Sophocarpine is nematocidal against B. xylophilus in vitro.2 In vivo, sophocarpine (30 mg/kg) reduces infarct size, cardiac muscle fiber swelling and hypertrophy, and neutrophil infiltration in a rat model of myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury.3 It decreases liver weight, fibrosis, and levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and TGF-β1 in a rat model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).4 Sophocarpine (15 and 30 mg/kg) reduces carrageenan-induced hind paw edema in rats and decreases acetic acid-induced writhing in mice.5
1.Lin, Z., Huang, C.-F., Liu, X.-S., et al.In vitro anti-tumour activities of quinolizidine alkaloids derived from Sophora flavescens AitBasic Clin. Pharmacol. Toxicol.108(5)304-309(2011) 2.Matsuda, K., Yamada, K., Kimura, M., et al.Nematicidal activity of matrine and its derivatives against pine wood nematodesJ. Agric. Food Chem.39(1)189-191(1991) 3.Li, C., Gao, Y., Tian, J., et al.Sophocarpine administration preserves myocardial function from ischemia-reperfusion in rats via NF-κB inactivationJ. Ethnopharmacol.135(3)620-625(2011) 4.C.-Y., S., Zeng, X., Chen, S.-W., et al.Sophocarpine alleviates non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in ratsJ. Gastroenterol. Hepatol.26(4)765-774(2011) 5.Gao, Y., Li, G., Li, C., et al.Anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory activity of sophocarpineJ. Ethnopharmacol.125(2)324-329(2009)