Sophora alopecuroides var. alopecuroides: Phytochemical composition, antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activity of the methanolic extract of aerial parts, flowers, leaves, roots, and stems

Abstract

Sophora alopecuroides L. are commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of various ailments such as refractory tinea, eczema, dermatitis, colpitis, bacillary dysentery, and other gastrointestinal diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition, antioxidant, and enzyme inhibitory activity of the aerial part, flower, leaf, root, and stems extracts of S. alopecuroides var. alopecuroides. Major compounds of the extracts were found to be ferulic acid, luteolin, hesperidin and pinoresinol. In many of the antioxidant activity assays, the root extract exhibited high activity. In CUPRAC reducing, phosphomolybdenum, ABTS, and DPPH tests, the activity of the root extract was 1.42, 2.45, 1.25, and 8.41 mg/mL, respectively. Root extract also exhibited significant activity in enzyme inhibitory assays. Tyrosinase, a-amylase, a-glucosidase, and acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities of the extract were determined as 1.22, 2.97, 1.03, and 0.97 mg/mL, respectively. Chromatographic analysis showed that the root extract contained 462.25 mg/g pinoresinol and 256.23 mg/g vanillic acid as the major compounds. Pearson correlation analysis showed that besides flavonoids/phenolics, these phytochemicals also contributed to the activity of root extract. Therefore, it was concluded that these phytochemicals may be responsible for the activity of the root extract. The root extract of S. alopecuroides var. alopecuroides was thought to be an effective antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory agent.