Sophora tomentosa (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

1, flowering twig; 2, flower; 3, flower with petals removed; 4, infructescence; 5, seed (Iskak Syamsudin)

Sophora tomentosa L.

Protologue: Sp. pl. 1: 373 (1753).

Family: Leguminosae

Chromosome number: x= 9; 2n= 18

Synonyms

• Sophora heptaphylla L. (1754),
• Sophora crassifolia J. St.-Hil. (1806),
• Sophora havanensis Jacq. (1860).

Vernacular names

• Seacoast laburnum, silver bush (En)
• Indonesia: kayu penawar (Javanese), ki ucing (Sundanese), upas biji (Malay, Moluccas)
• Malaysia: pelochok, pelotok (Peninsular)
• Philippines: tambalisa (Filipino), mangguiau (Bikol, Tagalog), pangalangan (Tagalog, Bisaya)
• Cambodia: sândaèk préi srâmot
• Thailand: saaraphat phit (Phetchaburi)
• Vietnam: (cây) chuỗi hột, hòe lông.

Origin and geographic distribution

S. tomentosa has a pantropical, coastal distribution. It is common throughout the South-East Asian region, occurring north to China and the Ryukyu Islands, south to eastern Australia and east into Polynesia.

Uses

The seed oil of S. tomentosa is reputed to be a good expectorant; in the Philippines it is applied externally to soothe painful bones. A decoction of the seeds and roots is given in bilious disorders. A decoction of the seeds, roots or bark has been used against cholera. The pounded seeds are used to cure colic and dysentery. Smaller doses are applied as an antidote in food poisoning and stings of poisonous fish, as well as to treat haemoptysis, painful urination and gonorrhoea. The root-bark is also used to treat such cases of poisoning. The Thai name "saaraphat phit" means various poisons, probably referring to its use as an antidote. In East Africa S. tomentosa is used as a fish poison.

The timber of S. tomentosa is hard and heavy and used for small objects. It is occasionally grown as an ornamental in gardens close to the sea.

Properties

The bitter seeds of S. tomentosa have astringent, febrifugal, stomachic and dangerous emetocathartic properties. The leaves are also strongly emetocathartic and toxic in large doses. Sophora species are relatively rich in alkaloids: these can be found in leaves, roots and seeds. Some of these alkaloids seem to be common, whereas others appear to be confined to a single or a limited number of species. Detailed phytochemical investigations have led to the isolation of (+)-matrine, (+)-matrine-N-oxide, (+)-sophocarpine-N-oxide, (-)-anagyrine, (-)-baptifoline, (-)-cytisine, (-)-N-methylcytisine, (-)-formylcytisine, (-)-N-acetylcytisine, (±)-ammodendrine, (-)-epiamprolobine, (+)-epiamprolobine-N-oxide and 5-(3'-methoxycarbonylbutyroyl)aminomethyl-trans-quinolizidine from the various (fresh) parts of S. tomentosa. All compounds belong to the quinolizidine group of alkaloids (sometimes also called lupin alkaloids), which are biosynthesized from the amino acid lysine. The amounts of this amino acid in the leaves, stems, immature pods and immature seeds are respectively 0.15%, 0.22%, 0.37% and 0.64% of the fresh weight, with (+)-epiamprolobine-N-oxide, (+)-matrine-N-oxide, (+)-matrine and (-)-cytisine being the most abundant alkaloids. Together with (-)-N-methylcytisine, the latter three compounds are also found in S. flavescens Aiton from China, a species commonly traded in Chinese pharmacies throughout Malaysia.

The pharmacological actions of several of the alkaloids have been quite well investigated. Dried seed of S. tomentosa contains up to 2% (-)-cytisine (also known as sophorine or ulexine), which resembles the alkaloid nicotine in its action as a neurotransmitter, but is much less toxic as a poison. It also has insecticidal properties. The effects of (-)-N-methylcytisine and (+)-matrine isolated from S. flavescens on the motility of parasitic helminths and mouse ileum preparations have been experimentally tested. The two alkaloids acted antagonistically on all the preparations: (-)-N-methylcytisine acted spastically and (+)-matrine paralytically. From the results on interactions between these alkaloids and known neuropharmacological agents, it is suggested that the effects of both alkaloids are elicited through a neuropharmacological mechanism in parasitic helminths and host tissue. (+)-Matrine also has anti-inflammatory properties as well as anti-ulcer properties; this was demonstrated in an experiment in fundus strips of rats. (+)-Matrine isolated from the root of S. subprostrata Chun & Chen showed significant inhibition of ocular inflammation induced by lens proteins. Unlike corticosteroids, (+)-matrine did not facilitate the intra-ocular pressure recovery in rabbit eyes nor did it change the electrical potential difference across rabbit iris-ciliary body. These results indicate that (+)-matrine could become a safer ocular anti-inflammatory agent than corticosteroids. Furthermore, (+)-matrine was found to markedly increase the reaction time of a mouse placed on a hot plate; the results indicate that this component could be used as an analgesic as well. The effect of (+)-matrine, from S. flavescens, on glutamate-induced responses was investigated using electrophysiological techniques at the crayfish neuromuscular junction. At concentrations greater than 0.1 mM, (+)-matrine depressed both glutamate-induced responses and neurally evoked excitatory junctional potentials. In this assay (+)-matrine-N-oxide (= oxymatrine) also shows activity, although far less powerfully than (+)-matrine. Finally, (+)-matrine-N-oxide (oxymatrine) has a biphasic effect on cultures of rat myocytes: slowing the beating rate by α-adrenoreceptor stimulation (concentrations at 50 μmol/l) and accelerating it by β-adrenoceptor stimulation (250 μmol/l concentration).

Five isoprenylated flavonoids have been isolated from the aerial parts of S. tomentosa: sophoraisoflavanone A, sophoraflavanone B, sophoronol, isosophoranone and isobavachin. The structurally closely related flavonoid vexibiol, from S. flavescens, is known to exhibit anti-ulcer effects.

Adulterations and substitutes

(-)-Cytisine (also known as sophorine or ulexine) as found in several Sophora species is also found in Laburnum anagyroides Medik. and Ulex europaeus L.

Description

• An evergreen shrub or small tree up to 7 m tall; bole branchless for up to 3 m, up to 45 cm in diameter; young twigs, leaf rachises, lower surface of leaflets, inflorescences, calyces and pods densely puberulous or tomentose.
• Leaves arranged spirally, imparipinnate, up to 30 cm long, with 9-23 leaflets, stipules absent; leaflets opposite, broadly elliptical to suborbicular, up to 4(-5) cm × 3 cm, apex rounded to slightly emarginate.
• Flowers in a terminal raceme up to 25 cm long, papilionaceous; bracteoles absent; pedicel 5-10 mm long; calyx campanulate, with 5 shallow teeth; petals yellow, standard 14-20 mm × 11-14 mm, wings and keel of equal length; stamens 10, free; ovary superior, densely appressed pubescent.
• Fruit a 3-10-seeded pod, 5-19 cm long, markedly constricted between the seeds.
• Seeds subglobose, 6-7 mm long, brownish.
• Seedling with hypogeal germination; cotyledons not emergent; hypocotyl elongated; epicotyl with a few scale leaves, followed by simple, then 2-foliolate, 3-foliolate, 5-foliolate, etc. leaves.

Growth and development

In Indo-China, S. tomentosa flowers in December-January, in Malesia from October to June. Fruits mature in about 3-4 months and are dispersed by sea currents. Seeds are able to float for at least 3 months and in this period the germination capacity is not affected. However, germination significantly dropped following immersion in sea water. S. tomentosa has been observed nodulating in Hawaii.

Other botanical information

Sophora comprises about 50 species and belongs to the tribe Sophoreae of the subfamily Papilionoideae. S. tomentosa has been subdivided into several subspecies; within Malesia only subsp. tomentosa occurs. The correct name for the well-known Sophora japonica L., which is used medicinally, as a dye and as an ornamental, is Styphnolobium japonicum (L.) Schott. The segregation of the small genus Styphnolobium from Sophora is supported by morphological evidence, a deviating somatic chromosome number and DNA research.

Ecology

S. tomentosa is a coastal species, growing on sandy foreshores or open grassland along the beach, often locally abundant. It is more or less a pioneer species.

Propagation and planting

In a germination experiment in Malaysia, seeds of S. tomentosa germinated in 0.5-11 months.

Genetic resources and breeding

The risk of genetic erosion or depletion of S. tomentosa seems rather limited, since it is pantropical and locally common.

Prospects

The pharmacological properties from alkaloids such as (-)-cytisine, (-)-N-methylcytisine, (+)-matrine and (+)-matrine-N-oxide might be of interest (e.g. as lead compounds) in the research and development of new pharmaceuticals.

Literature

• Chuang, C.Y., Xiao, J.G. & Chiou, G.C., 1987. Ocular anti-inflammatory actions of matrine. Journal of Ocular Pharmacology 3(2): 129-134.
• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1972. The wealth of India: a dictionary of Indian raw materials & industrial products. Volume IX. New Delhi, India. pp. 434-435.
• Ishida, M. & Shinozaki, H., 1984. Glutamate inhibitory action of matrine at the crayfish neuromuscular junction. British Journal of Pharmacology 82(2): 523-531.
• Kinoshita, T., Ichinose, K., Takahashi, C., Ho, F.C., Wu, J.B. & Sankawa, U., 1990. Chemical studies on Sophora tomentosa: the isolation of a new class of isoflavonoid. Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin 38(10): 2756-2759.
• Komatsu, M., Yokoe, I. & Shirataki, Y., 1978. Studies on the constituents of Sophora species. XIII. Constituents of the aerial parts of Sophora tomentosa L. Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin (Tokyo) 26(12): 3863-3870.
• Murakoshi, I., Kidoguchi, E., Nakamura, M., Haginiwa, J., Ohmiya, S., Higashiyama, K. & Otomasu, H., 1981. (-)-Epilamprolobine and its N-oxide, lupin alkaloids from Sophora tomentosa. Phytochemistry 20(7): 1725-1730.
• Niyomdham, C., 1980. Preliminary revision of Tribe Sophoreae (Leguminosae - Faboideae) in Thailand: Ormosia Jacks. and Sophora Linn. Thai Forest Bulletin, Botany 13: 1-22.
• Perry, L.M., 1980. Medicinal plants of East and Southeast Asia. Attributed properties and uses. The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States & London, United Kingdom. pp. 226-227.
• van Steenis, C.G.G.J., 1948. Malaysian species of Sophora (Legum.). Bulletin of the Botanic Gardens Buitenzorg, Ser. III, Vol. 17(4): 421-428.
• Yamazaki, M. & Arai, A., 1985. On the contractile response of fundus strip from rats to matrine, an alkaloidal component of Sophora flavescens. Journal of Pharmacobiodynamics 8(7): 513-517.

Other selected sources

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Authors

• J.L.C.H. van Valkenburg