Analysis and processing of Chinese herbal drugs. VIII: The study of sophorae floe.

The quantities of active constituents in commercially available Sophora japonica L. (huai-hua) and its processed samples were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography. Rutin, quercetin, sophoricoside, sophorabioside and genistein were found. Sophora flower buds (huai-mi) contained a great deal of rutin, while the immature fruits (huai-chiao) contained sophoricoside and sophorabioside. When Sophora flower bud was stir-fried for short periods using low heat, the extracted rate of rutin and quercetin increased slightly, decreasing with longer cooking periods at higher temperatures. When stir-fried with vinegar, it quickly blackened, but when cooked with honey, it changed very little. Immature Sophora fruit, however, exhibits less variation in its active constituents after processing. All huai-hua processed samples give forth a pronounced aroma and could be more easily extracted with water than that of the unprocessed herbs.