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Planta Med 2010; 76(1): 79-81
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1185944
Pharmacology
Letters
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Flavonoids and Isoflavonoids from Sophorae Flos Improve Glucose Uptake in Vitro

Quan Cheng Chen1 , 2 , Wei Yun Zhang1 , Wenyi Jin1 , Ik Soo Lee1 , Byung-Sun Min3 , Hyun-Ju Jung4 , Minkyun Na5 , SangMyung Lee6 , KiHwan Bae1
  • 1College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea
  • 2Institute for Biomedical Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen, P. R. China
  • 3College of Pharmacy, Catholic University of Daegu, Gyeongbuk, Korea
  • 4Department of Oriental Pharmacy, Wonkwang University, Jeonbuk, Korea
  • 5College of Pharmacy, Yeungnam University, Gyeongbuk, Korea
  • 6KT&G Central Research Institute, Daejeon, Korea
Further Information

Publication History

received April 9, 2009 revised June 11, 2009

accepted June 13, 2009

Publication Date:
27 July 2009 (online)

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Abstract

Glucose uptake assay-guided fractionations on the methanol extract of Sophorae Flos led to the isolation of the flavonoids rutin (1), narcissin (2), quercetin (3), tamarixetin (4), and kaempferol (5) and the isoflavonoids cajanin (6), genistein (7), orobol (8), and pratensein (9). Among them, 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 significantly improved basal glucose uptake in HepG2 cells. Their improving effects were concentration dependent. Compounds 4, 5, 6, and 9 exhibited effects stronger than that of rosiglitazone, which has been used as an antidiabetic drug. However, 2, 3, and 7 did not show any improving effects. Stimulating glucose uptake into peripheral cells may be responsible for reducing the level of blood glucose in the circulation. Therefore, these findings demonstrate a potential to develop these flavonoids and isoflavonoids as hypoglycemic drugs.

Key words

Sophora japonica - Leguminosae - flavonoids - isoflavonoids - glucose uptake - diabetes mellitus

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Prof. Dr. KiHwan Bae

College of Pharmacy
Chungnam National University

305–764 Daejeon

Korea

Phone: + 82 4 28 21 59 25

Fax: + 82 4 28 23 65 66

Email: baekh@cnu.ac.kr

    www.thieme-connect.de/ejournals/toc/plantamedica