Sophora Alopecuroides Research Articles

Matrine Induction of ROS Mediated Apoptosis in Human ALL B-lymphocytes Via Mitochondrial Targeting

Background:Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is one of the most common malignancies among children, characterized by mass production of leukemic blasts. Chemotherapy is the first step in routine treatment, although it may evoke considerable side effects. Matrine, an alkaloid extracted from a Chinese herb, Sophora alopecuroides flavescens Ait, may be protective. Several investigations have indicated pro-apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects in a diverse range of cancer cells.Methods:Matrine’s anti-cancer effects and associated mechanisms were assessed in human ALL B-lymphocytes, focusing on parameters of inflammatory change and apoptosis.Results:Treatment of ALL B-lymphocytes with matrine augmented ROS generation, and caused mitochondrial swelling and a decline in mitochondrial membrane potential. Significant up-regulation of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax and down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 were also noted.Conclusion:Our results suggest that matrine may be a potential anticancer agent. However, additional studies are needed to clarify involved mechanisms.

伊犁河谷苦豆子C、N、P含量变化及化学计量特征

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 伊犁河谷苦豆子C、N、P含量变化及化学计量特征 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201707101240 作者: 作者单位: 新疆大学资源与环境科学学院,中国科学院新疆生态与地理研究所,中国科学院新疆生态与地理研究所,中国科学院新疆生态与地理研究所 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家科技支撑计划项目（2014BAC15B03）；国家自然科学基金项目（31360101） The study of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus content changes and their stoichiometry of Sophoraalopecuroides in the Yili River Region Author: Affiliation: College of Resources and Environment Science ,Xinjiang University,Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography,Chinese Academy of Sciences Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:研究苦豆子不同器官中碳、氮、磷元素的化学计量特征的季节变化有助于深入了解该植物蔓延的生态学机制。系统分析了伊犁河谷苦豆子根、茎、叶的碳（C）、氮（N）、磷（P）化学计量特征及其季节动态变化。结果表明∶苦豆子C、N、P含量均值分别为391.40、13.17、1.51mg/g，C∶N、N∶P、C∶P均值分别为45.61、8.52、326.38。苦豆子根、茎、叶在整个生长季内C、N、P均值含量变化一致，为叶 > 茎 > 根。在生态化学计量特征的分析中规律则不同，C含量随着生长时期的增加而增加，N和P的含量则随着生长时期的增加而减少；苦豆子根系中的C、N、P含量有随着深度变化而递减的趋势；器官间的差异性说明植物在不同生长时期，各器官对C、N、P的吸收利用具有特异性。植物叶片中C、N、P含量和N∶P普遍较低，苦豆子生长受N、P的共同限制，更容易受到N元素的限制。 Abstract:To derive a deeper understanding of the ecological mechanism of the spread of Sophora alopecuroides, this study systematically analyzed C, N, and P stoichiometry and its seasonal dynamic changes in the roots, stems, and leaves of Sophora alopecuroides distributed in the Yili River Valley. The results showed average C, N, and P contents to be 391.40, 13.17, and 1.51 mg/g; the average ratios of C/N, N/P, and C/P were 45.61, 8.52, and 326.38, respectively. The changes of the mean C, N, and P content showed the same pattern in the roots, stems, and leaves of Sophora alopecuroides during the completely growing season; leaves contained most of the nutrients, followed by stems and roots. However, they exhibited different patterns in the stoichiometric analysis. The C content increased with increasing plant growth, while N and P content declined. The content of C, N, and P in the root system of Sophora alopecuroides had a tendency to decline with the change in depth. The differences between organs indicated that the absorption and utilization of C, N, and P were specific to the plants during different growth periods. Plant leaves tended to have low C, N, and P content and N/P ratio. The growth of Sophora alopecuroides was limited by N and P jointly, but will be easier to constrain by N elements. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Enhanced ultrasound-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis extraction of quinolizidine alkaloids from Sophora alopecuroides L. seeds.

Quinolizidine alkaloids are the main bioactive components in Sophora alopecuroides L. This study reports a novel ultrasound-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis method for the extraction of these important alkaloids. Box-Behnken design, a widely used response surface methodology, was used to investigate the effects of process variables on ultrasound bath-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis (UAEH) extraction. Four independent variables, pH, extraction temperature (°C), extraction time (min) and solvent-to-material ratio (mL/g), were studied. For the extraction of sophocarpine, oxysophocarpine, oxymatrine, matrine, sophoramine, sophoridine and cytisine, the optimal UAEH condition was found to be a pH of 5, extraction temperature of 54°C, extraction time of 60min and solvent-to-material ratio of 112mL/g. The experimental values obtained under optimal conditions were fairly consistent with the predicted values. UAEH extraction was then compared with reflux heating, enzymatic extraction and ultrasound-assisted extraction. Of these extraction methods, UAEH extraction under optimal conditions produced the highest yield for seven types of alkaloids. In addition, UAEH extraction resulted in lower ingredient degradation than reflux heating extraction.

Oxysophoridine rescues spinal cord injury via anti‑inflammatory, anti‑oxidative stress and anti‑apoptosis effects.

Oxysophoridine (OSR) is an alkaloid extracted from Sophora alopecuroides L and has various pharmacological activities. The present study aimed to investigate the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of OSR on spinal cord injury (SCI), a clinically common serious trauma, in a rat model. The results of the present study demonstrated that the anti‑inflammatory effect of OSR improved Basso, Beatie and Bresnahan Locomotor Rating Scale scores and reduced spinal cord tissue water contents in an SCI rat model. Inflammatory activation was measured by ELISA, and Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), intercellular adhesion molecule‑1 (ICAM‑1), cyclooxygenase‑2 (COX‑2), nuclear factor‑κB (NF‑κB) and B‑cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl‑2)/Bcl‑2‑associated X (Bax) protein expression levels using western blotting. The results revealed that treatment with OSR reduced tumor necrosis factor‑α, interleukin (IL)‑1β, IL‑6, IL‑8 and malondialdehyde, and increased superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase levels in the serum of an SCI rat model. OSR significantly reduced the protein expression of inflammation‑associated proteins PGE2, ICAM‑1, COX‑2, NF‑κB and Bcl‑2/Bax ratio in the spinal cord tissue of an SCI rat model. Furthermore, the results of the current study demonstrate that OSR ameliorates SCI via anti‑inflammatory, anti‑oxidative stress and anti‑apoptosis effects.

Sophoridine suppresses cell growth in human medulloblastoma through FoxM1, NF-κB and AP-1.

Sophoridine is an alkaloid extracted from Sophora alopecuroides that has extensive pharmacological actions. In the present study, the effect of sophoridine on cell growth of human medulloblastoma and its mechanism were investigated. Human medulloblastoma D283-Med cells were incubated with 0, 0.5, 1 or 2 mg/ml sophoridine for 24, 48 or 72 h. Cell proliferation and cytotoxicity were analyzed using MTT and lactate dehydrogenase assays, respectively. Next, analyses of cell apoptosis and caspase-3/8 activity were performed using flow cytometry or spectrophotometry, respectively. Lastly, the change in FoxM1, TrkB, BDNF, NF-κB and AP-1 expression was investigated using western blot analysis. In the present study, treatment with sophoridine significantly suppressed cell growth and induced apoptosis in human medulloblastoma cells. In addition, sophoridine significantly increased cytotoxicity and caspase-3/8 activity in human medulloblastoma. Finally, it was found that sophoridine suppresses the protein expression of FoxM1, TrkB, BDNF NF-κB and AP-1 in human medulloblastoma cells. The present study suggests that sophoridine suppresses cell growth of human medulloblastoma through the inhibition of the FoxM1, NF-κB and AP-1 signaling pathway.

Comprehensive evaluation of effective constituents in total alkaloids from Sophora alopecuroides L. and their joint action against aphids by laboratory toxicity and field efficacy

Alkaloids are the main constituents that contributed to the insecticidal activity of plant Sophora alopecuroides L. (Fabaceae). Using an acid extraction and alkali precipitation method, total alkaloids were extracted and then six alkaloids were isolated, which were identified as matrine, oxymatrine, aloperine, cytisine, sophocarpine and sophoridine. To characterize the aphicidal spectrum and joint action of these compounds, their contact toxicity and joint action against aphids were evaluated by bioassay and field trial. Results showed that all the test alkaloids had high and broad spectrum aphicidal activities, but the toxicities varied significantly among alkaloids with different aphid species. Based on contact toxicity, cytisine was the most active alkaloid among six monomers. In the meantime, it was confirmed that the combination of cytisine, aloperine, oxymatrine and sophocarpine showed the most significant synergistic effect against A. craccivora, with the poison ratio of 1.62. Furthermore, field trials on four aphid species also indicated that the quaternary alkaloids possessed a more significant efficacy than others, with the efficacy about 80% on the 7th day post application. Thus, both bioassay and field trial proved that the combination of the four monomers possesses strikingly aphicidal synergistic action. As environmental friendly natural products, S. alopecuroides alkaloids can serve as potential, broad spectrum aphid-control agents, and the four alkaloid monomers would be important quality parameters for development and application of pesticide products from S. alopecuroides alkaloids.

Effect of total alkaloid extract of local Sophora alopecuroides on minimum inhibitory concentration and intracellular accumulation of ciprofloxacin, and acrA expression in highly resistant Escherichia coli clones.

Multidrug-resistant phenotypes in Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli mainly result from overexpression of the AcrAB-TolC efflux pump. Efflux pump inhibitors may be obtained from plant extracts, such as alkaloid extract of Sophora spp. The aims of this study were to evaluate the antibacterial and anti-pump potential of local Sophora alopecuroides total alkaloid extract and commercial matrine in combination with ciprofloxacin in highly resistant E. coli clones. Alkaloid extract of S. alopecuroides seeds was prepared by acid-base solution and chloroform extraction. The percentage of matrine in this extract was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the extract and matrine in combination with ciprofloxacin were determined by the microbroth dilution method. The anti-pump activity of these combined materials was measured by ciprofloxacin accumulation assay and real-time PCR. The alkaloid extract contained 31.2% matrine. A synergistic interaction [fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI)=0.13] was seen between the extract (1.56mg/mL) and ciprofloxacin (1μg/mL) in highly resistant E. coli clones. A significant decrease (P<0.05) in the expression level of acrA was seen in the presence of ciprofloxacin in clones pre-treated with plant extract or matrine for 36h. Accumulation of ciprofloxacin enhanced 2.8- and 2-fold following addition of matrine and plant extract, respectively, in these clones. Alkaloid extract of local S. alopecuroides and matrine have anti-pump activity; further investigations are necessary to elucidate their exact mechanisms of action.

Protective effects of aloperin on monocroline-induced pulmonary hypertension via regulation of Rho A/Rho kinsase pathway in rats

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is fatal disease which closely involves Rho A/ Rho kinsase (ROCK) pathway. Aloperine is a main active alkaloid extracted from Sophora alopecuroides, which is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine that has been used widely. However, the effects of this alkaloid on pulmonary hypertension and its mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, this study is designed to investigate whether aloperine has protective effects on PH induced by monocrotaline, whether these effects may be related to regulation of RhoA/ROCK pathway in rats.Pulmonary hypertension was induced by monocrotaline (60mg/kg), and subsequently oral administration of aloperine (25, 50, 100mg/kg/day) for 21 days. At the end of the experiment, rats were underwent hemodynamic and morphologic assessments. At same time, the expression of Rho A, ROCK1, ROCK2, as well as activities of ROCK in the lung of rat has been detected. Afterwards, the expression of p27kip1, Bax, Bcl-2, which was the downstream proliferation and apoptosis factors of ROCK, were tested.The result indicted that aloperine treatment showed significantly improvement in hemodynamic and pathomorphologic data. Moreover, the reduction in expression of Rho A, ROCK1, ROCK2, and suppression in activities of ROCK were found in rat lungs after aloperine treatment. Furthermore, aloperine also alleviated the MCT-induced changes of p27kip1, Bax and Bcl-2.In summary, this study indicates that aloperine have protective effects on monocrotaline-induced PH. And these effects may be partially related to RhoA/ROCK pathway. Thus, aloperine could be considered a possible therapeutic strategy for PH.

Environmental Factors Affecting Seed Germination and Seedling Emergence of Foxtail Sophora (Sophora alopecuroides)

Foxtail sophora is a widely distributed problematic weed in western Iranian dryland farming systems. Little information is available on seed germination and seedling emergence of this weed species in response to environmental and agronomic factors. This study was conducted to address this knowledge gap. Maximum seed germination (80%) occurred at 25 C and decreased at lower temperatures (&lt;1% at 5 C) or under fluctuating temperature regimes. Light and pH did not have any substantial effect on seed germination. Foxtail sophora was tolerant to osmotic stress and moderately tolerant to sodium chloride. It was tolerant to salinity and drought stress during germination, which suggests that the population of this weed may increase in western farmlands of Iran. No seedlings emerged when seeds were buried at depths greater than 6 cm, which indicates that minimum- and no-till systems would increase seedling emergence of this species. Therefore, using sweep cultivators would be beneficial in management of foxtail sophora seedlings in the drylands of west of Iran.

High-Speed Counter-Current Chromatography with an Online Storage Technique for the Preparative Isolation and Purification of Dihydroflavonoids from Sophora alopecuroides L.

High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) is an efficient and non-absorption separation technique, but limitations still exist in simultaneous isolation of complex structures of natural products. Moreover, particular methods are various for different kinds of natural products. A novel HSCCC strategy combined with an online storage recycling elution (OSR-CCC) technique was developed for the quick separation of naturally occurring dihydroflavonoids from the extract of the herb Sophora alopecuroides L. In the separation procedure, a storage loop and two six-port valves were connected to a HSCCC system. Effluent A was subjected to an online storage loop and then to recycling separation three times after effluent B was collected in head-to-tail mode. After completion of the recycling separation of effluent A, the elution was switched to tail-to-head mode to collect effluent C. A biphasic solvent system of n-hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (9:6:6:8, v/v/v/v) was used as the separation solvent during the whole elution. Six constituents were isolated simultaneously from the extract (200mg) of S. alopecuroides by running HSCCC non-stop, and their purities were higher than 95.0%. Their structures were determined as the pterocarpan glycoside sophoratonkin (1) (10.0mg) and five dihydroflavonoids, alopecurone F (2) (5.4mg), lehmannin (3) (11.0mg), alopecurone A (4) (35.0mg), sophoraflavanone G (5) (21.0mg), alopecurone B (6) (31.0mg). This recycling HSCCC method combined with an online storage technique could be a rapid, effective and simple approach to isolate stilbene-dihydroflavonoids from herbs of the Sophora genus simultaneously. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Thin-layer chromatographic quantification of three alkaloid compounds in Sophora alopecuroides and TLC—bioautography for screening antioxidant components

This study aims at establishing a thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) scanning method for the determination of three alkaloids in Sophora alopecuroides and preliminary screening of antioxidant active components in S. alopecuroides with TLC—bioautography technology. The alkaloids in S. alopecuroides were identified by silica gel thin-layer chromatography; the expansion agent was toluene— acetone—methanol—ammonia—water (8:3:0.2:0.5:8), and the chromogenic agent was modified bismuth potassium iodide solution, sophoridine, matrine, and sophocarpine in S. alopecuroides by TLC scanning at 500 nm. The linear ranges were 0.4152–2.4912 μg for sophordine, 0.4245–2.5470 μg for matrine, and 0.4101– 2.4606 μg for sophocarpine, with correlation coefficients of 0.9939, 0.9956, and 0.9975. Ultraviolet (UV) method was used to determine the total scavenging activity of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhdrazyl (DPPH) free radical. The best TLC identification condition was selected, and the antioxidant activity of DPPH was screened wit...

Molecular identification of Candidatus Phytoplasma spp. associated with Sophora yellow stunt in Iran

Abstract In the spring of 2012, sophora (Sophora alopecuroides L.) plants showing symptoms of leaf yellowing, little leaves and stunting were observed in Firooz-kuh (Tehran province), Sari (Mazandaran province) and Urmia (West Azerbaijan province) in Iran. Symptomatic plants from the three locations were subjected to nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify 16SrRNA using primer pair P1/P7 followed by primer pair R16F2n/R16R2. The amplicons were purified, sequenced and the nucleotide sequences were analyzed by virtual restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The phytoplasmas associated with the yellows disease were identified as members of the 16SrIX group (Candidatus Phytoplasma phoenicium) and the 16SrXII group (Candidatus Phytoplasma solani). The two phytoplasmas were placed in 16SrIX-C and 16SrXII-A subgroups, respectively, in constructed phylogenetic trees. This is the first report on sophora yellows associated with Candidatus Phytoplasma phoenicium.

Targeting miR-21 with Sophocarpine Inhibits Tumor Progression and Reverses Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Head and Neck Cancer

A major challenge for cancer chemotherapy is the development of safe and clinically effective chemotherapeutic agents. With its low toxicity profile, sophocarpine (SC), a naturally occurring tetracyclic quinolizidine alkaloid derived from Sophora alopecuroides L, has shown promising therapeutic properties, including anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive, and antivirus activities. However, the antitumor efficacy of SC and its underlying mechanisms have not been completely delineated. In the present study, the inhibitory effect of SC onhead and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) progression and possible mechanisms for this effect involving microRNA-21 (miR-21) regulation were investigated. By cell viability, Transwell, and wound healing assays, we show that SC effectively inhibited proliferation, invasion, and migration of HNSCC cells. Moreover, SC exerted its growth-inhibitory effect via the downregulation of miR-21 expression by blocking Dicer-mediated miR-21 maturation. Furthermore, SC treatment led to the increased expression of PTEN and p38MAPK phosphorylation as well as the reversal of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which was rescued by ectopic expression of miR-21 in cells. Notably, SC dramatically repressed tumor growth without observable tissue cytotoxicity in a mouse xenograft model of HNSCC. Our findings offer a preclinical proof of concept for SC as a leading natural agent for HNSCC cancer therapy.

Identification of a Nanovirus-Alphasatellite Complex in Sophora alopecuroides

Viruses in the genus Nanovirus of the family Nanoviridae generally have eight individually encapsidated circular genome components and have been predominantly found infecting Fabaceae plants in Europe, Australia, Africa and Asia. For over a decade Sophora alopecuroides L. (Fabaceae) plants have been observed across Iran displaying dwarfing, yellowing, stunted leaves and yellow vein banding. Using a high-throughput sequencing approach, sequences were identified within one such plant that had similarities to nanovirus genome components. From this plant, the nanovirus-like molecules DNA-R (n=4), DNA-C (n=2), DNA-S (n=1), DNA-M (n=1), DNA-N (n=1), DNA-U1 (n=1), DNA-U2 (n=1) and DNA-U4 (n=1) were amplified, cloned and sequenced. Other than for the DNA-R, these components share less than 71% identity with those of other known nanoviruses. The four DNA-R molecules were highly diverse, sharing only 65–71% identity with each other and 64–86% identity with those of other nanoviruses. In the S. alopecuroides plant 14 molecules sharing 57.7–84.6% identity with previously determined sequences of nanovirus-associated alphasatellites were also identified. Given the research activity in the nanovirus field during the last five years coupled with high-throughput sequence technologies, many more diverse nanoviruses and nanovirus-associated satellites are likely to be identified.

Liver, blood microdialysate and plasma pharmacokinetics of matrine following transdermal or intravenous administration.

Matrine is contained in several herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, named Sophora alopecuroides, Sophora flavescens or Sophora subprostrata. In vitro and in vivo studies have focused on the treatment of chronic hepatitis or liver fibrosis using matrine. However, little is known about its liver pharmacokinetic profile. In this study pharmacokinetics of matrine in rat organs and tissues, such as liver, blood and skin were studied after intravenous (40 mg/kg) or transdermal administration (6 mg/cm2, 5 cm2). Samples were collected at timed intervals for measurement of matrine by a HPLC-UV method. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by non-compartmental analysis using DAS 2.0. The AUC(0-t) values in the liver, blood microdialysates and plasma after intravenous administration were 395.91±74.48, 848.86±146.35 and 1304.07±305.92 min·mg/l, respectively. Following transdermal administration, the AUC(0-t) value in the liver, blood, plasma and skin microdialysates were 695.30±233.79, 1096.07±390.71, 2767.57±518.48 and 42735.77±27938.33 min·mg/l, respectively. Here, we show a promising delivery system for matrine that could replace traditional administration, and a better understanding of the transdermal pharmacokinetics of matrine, which may be helpful for further clinical and laboratory studies.

Four Matrine-Based Alkaloids with Antiviral Activities against HBV from the Seeds of Sophora alopecuroides.

Four novel matrine-based alkaloids (1-4) were isolated from the seeds of Sophora alopecuroides. Compounds 1 and 2 possess unprecedented 6/6/6/4 and 6/5/6/6 ring systems, respectively, while 3 and 4 are a pair of stereoisomeric matrine-acetophenone alkaloids with an unusual skeleton. Their structures were elucidated by means of spectroscopic methods and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Hypothetical biogenetic pathways for 1-4 are proposed, and their antiviral activities are also discussed.

Aloperine Protects Mice against DSS-Induced Colitis by PP2A-Mediated PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Suppression.

Colitis is a major form of inflammatory bowel disease which involved mucosal immune dysfunction. Aloperine is an alkaloid isolated from the shrub Sophora alopecuroides L. and has been recognized as an effective treatment for inflammatory and allergic diseases. The present study aimed to examine the molecular mechanisms underlying aloperine-mediated colitis protection. We found that aloperine treatment improved colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) based on body weight, disease activity index, colonic length, and spleen index. Aloperine also effectively attenuated DSS-induced intestinal inflammation based on the pathological score and myeloperoxidase expression and activity in colon tissues. In addition, aloperine regulated T-cell proportions and promoted Foxp3 expression in the spleens and mesenteric lymph nodes of DSS-induced colitis mice and in the spleens of the Foxp3GFP mice. Aloperine inhibited Jurkat and mouse naïve T-cell apoptosis. Furthermore, aloperine inhibited PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling and upregulated PP2A expression in the DSS-induced colitis mice and in Jurkat cells, but LB-100 (PP2A inhibitor) resulted in an elevated Akt activity in Jurkat cells, activated T-cells, and human splenic mononuclear cells. Aloperine inhibited T-cell and lymphocyte proliferation, but LB-100 reverse these effects. In conclusion, aloperine regulates inflammatory responses in colitis by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling in a PP2A-dependent manner.

Anti-neuroinflammatory effect of Sophoraflavanone G from Sophora alopecuroides in LPS-activated BV2 microglia by MAPK, JAK/STAT and Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways

Background: Neuroinflammation plays a vital role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative conditions. Sophora alopecuroides is widely used in traditional Uighur's medicine for the treatment of inflammation. Sophoraflavanone G (SG), a major flavonoid found in the S. alopecuroides, has also been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory activity both in vitro and in vivo. However, the effect of S. alopecuroides and SG on microglia-mediated neuroinflammation has not been investigated.Purpose: The present study was designed to evaluate the anti-neuroinflammatory effect of S. alopecuroides and SG against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated BV2 microglial cells and to explore the underlying mechanisms.Methods: We measured the production of pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines, and analyzed relevant mRNA and protein expressions by qRT-PCR and Western Blot.Results: S. alopecuroides extract (SAE) and SG inhibited the LPS-induced release of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Additionally, SG reduced gene expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β, and further decreased the protein expressions of iNOS and COX-2. Mechanism studies found that SG down-regulated phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT), and up-regulated heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression via nuclear translocation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). In addition, SG inhibited the cytotoxicity of conditioned medium prepared by LPS-activated BV2 microglia to neuronal PC12 cells and improved cell viability.Conclusion: S. alopecuroides and SG displayed anti-neuroinflammatory activity in LPS-activated BV2 microglia. SG was able to inhibit the neuroinflammation by MAPKs, PI3K/AKT, JAK/STAT and Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways and might act as a natural therapeutic agent to be further developed for the treatment of various neuroinflammatory conditions.

Sophora alopecuroides L. var. alopecuroides alleviates morphine withdrawal syndrome in mice: involvement of alkaloid fraction and matrine.

Evaluation of the Sophora alopecuroides var. alopecuroides seed effects on morphine withdrawal syndrome in mice and determination of the alkaloid composition of the seed total extract. The effects of the seed total extract, alkaloid fraction and major compound matrine on the mice morphine withdrawal syndrome were compared to saline and methadone. Mice were made dependent on morphine by morphine sulfate injection 3 times a day for 3 days. The withdrawal jumping and diarrhea were induced by administration of naloxone 2 hr after the 10th injection of morphine sulfate on the day 4. The total extract (100, 200, 300 mg/kg), alkaloid fraction (5, 10, 20 mg/kg), matrine (5, 15, 30 mg/kg), methadone (10 mg/kg) or saline were injected 30 min before naloxone. All drugs were administered by subcutaneous injection. The total extract alkaloid composition was also determined by gas chromatography (GC) and GC-MS analysis. All doses of the total extract, alkaloid fraction and matrine as well as methadone decreased jumping and diarrhea significantly compared to the saline. The effects of the total extract and alkaloid fraction were not significantly different from methadone. But, there were significant differences between the effects of matrine and methadone. Matrine, cytisine, sophoridine, n-methyl cytisine, sophocarpine and sophoramine were the major alkaloids. There was no nicotine in the total extract. S. alopecuroides var. alopecuroides suppresses opioid withdrawal with efficacy comparable to methadone. Matrine may be one of the alkaloids responsible for the effect of the plant.

Application of solid surface fluorescence EEM spectroscopy for tracking organic matter quality of native halophyte and furrow-irrigated soils

Solid surface fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) is developed a potential method to characterize soil organic matter (SOM). Solid surface EEM spectroscopy with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) is used to extract fluorescent components, to seek latent factors, and to investigate spatial distribution of SOM. Soil samples were collected from four native halophyte and two furrow-irrigated soil profiles, i.e. Comm. Salicornia europaea (CSE), Comm. Suaeda glauca (CSG), Comm. Kalidium cuspidatum (CKC), Comm. Sophora alopecuroides (CSA), corn fields (CFD), and wheat fields (WFD). SOM contained six fluorescent components: microbial/terrestrial fulvic-like fluorescent components (C1), tryptophan-like/lignin-derived phenol fluorescent components (C2), terrestrial humic-like fluorescent component (C3), lignin oxidative degradation by-products (C4 and C5), and amino acids (C6). The C 4 and C5 were the representative components of SOM within the CSE, CSG, CKC, CSA and CFD soil profiles, while the C2 and C6 were dominated within the WFD soil profile. The C4, C5, C1 and C2 were latent factors, and they could roughly distinguish SOM within the whole saline soil profiles except the CFD. A humification index (H/L) deduced from the fluorescent components, was very suitable to indicate humification levels of SOM. Humification levels of SOM within the halophyte soil profiles decreased with soil depth, but the opposite trends within the furrow-irrigated soil profiles. The H/L was closely correlated with exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), and humification levels increased with the decreasing ESP. Soil surface EEM may not only indicate organic matter fractions of saline soils, but may be transferred to other types of landscape.