Optimization of Extraction Process of Quercetin from Flos Sophorae Immaturus Using Orthogonal Design

[Objectives]This study aimed to optimize the ultrasonic-assisted extraction process of quercetin from Flos Sophorae Immaturus.[Methods]The natural product quercetin in Flos Sophorae Immaturus was extracted by ultrasonic-assisted method,and the content of quercetin in the extract was determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry.The effect of ethanol concentration,solid/liquid ratio,temperature,time and ultrasonic power on the yield of quercetin in Flos Sophorae Immaturus was investigated by using single-factor experiments.Based on the results of single-factor experiments,an orthogonal experiment was designed to optimize the extraction process.The experimental data obtained were subjected to range analysis,analysis of variance and SSR test using SPSS 20.0 software to obtain the optimal extraction process.The results concluded were verified.[Results]The optimal ultrasonic-assisted extraction process for quercetin in Flos Sophorae Immaturus was as follows:temperature of 85℃,time of 30 min,solid/liquid ratio of 1∶20 g/mL,ethanol concentration of 50%.Under the optimal extraction conditions,the yield of quercetin in Flos Sophorae Immaturus was the highest.[Conclusions]This study provides a theoretical basis for the application of quercetin in Flos Sophorae Immaturus.

Chemical composition and pharmacological properties of Flos sophorae immaturus, Flos sophorae and Fructus sophorae: a review

The flower buds and fruits of Sophora japonica are known as Flos sophorae immaturus(Chinese Huaimi,FSI),Flos sophorae(Chinese Huaihua,FLS)and Fructus sophorae(Chinese Huaijiao,FRS)due to their different physiological forms.FSI and FLS are precious resources of homology of medicine and food,while FRS is a valuable Chinese herb,and all of which have been used for thousands of years.There are great differences in the active ingredients,functions and toxicological properties of FSI,FLS and FRS.However,they are often confused and assumed to have fairly similar validity,which is detrimental to their precision development of resources of homology of medicine and food.This review summarized the active constituents,analytical techniques and pharmacological properties of FSI,FLS and FRS,then systematically compared their differences.The article will help people better understand and distinguish the differences and characteristics of FSI,FLS and FRS in bioactive constituents,content of functional components and pharmacological properties,which can contribute to their highly efficient targeted applications in the future food and medical fields.

In vitro xanthine oxidase inhibitory properties of Flos Sophorae Immaturus and potential mechanisms

Flos Sophorae Immaturus (FSI) possessed potential xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activity as a uric acid-lowing natural product.The present work identified and quantified the free and bound polyphenols of FSI by UPLC-QTOF-MS.Then determined the primary polyphenols with XO inhibitory effect and clarified their potential mechanisms by omission experiment,interaction assay,inhibition type,and fluorescence measurements.The results revealed that nine polyphenols were detected in the free polyphenol extract and ten polyphenols were detected in the bound polyphenol extract.Meanwhile,seven polyphenols were identified as XO inhibitors,including quercetin,kaempferol,isorhamnetin,rutin,hyperoside,protocatechuic acid,and quercitrin with the IC50 values of 0.03,0.11,0.07,5.62,11.48,22.13,and 367.82 mg/mL,but their inhibition stability was lower than 24 h.Although the content of quercetin (18.87 mg/g) was not the highest,it played a crucial role to the XO inhibitory effect of FSI.Furthermore,kaempferol and isorhamnetin alone revealed the sub-additive effect with quercetin,while the combination of other polyphenols with quercetin generated the interference or antagonism effects.Quercetin,isorhamnetin,and kaempferol were mixed-type and competitive inhibitors,which significantly quenched the fluorescence intensity of XO.Moreover,the binding processes of quercetin-XO,kaempferol-XO,and isorhamnetin-XO were spontaneous and endothermic,and the hydrophobic interaction was the key driving force.In general,quercetin,kaempferol,and isorhamnetin in FSI can be used as potential XO inhibitors.