title: Monoamine oxidase inhibitory components from the roots of Sophora flavescens.
abstract: In our search for monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors from natural resources, we found that the methanol extract of the roots of Sophora flavescens showed an inhibitory effect on mouse brain monoamine oxidase (MAO). Bioactivity-guided isolation of the extract yielded two known flavonoids, formononetin (1) and kushenol F (2), as active compounds along with three inactive compounds, oxymatrine (3), trifolirhizin (4), and beta-sitosterol (5). Formononetin (1) and kushenol F (2) showed significant inhibitory effects on MAO in a dose-dependent manner with IC50 values of 13.2 and 69.9 microM, respectively. Formononetin (1) showed a slightly more potent inhibitory effect against MAO-B (IC50: 11.0 microM) than MAO-A (IC50: 21.2 microM). Kushenol F (2) also preferentially inhibited the MAO-B activity than MAO-A activity with the IC50 values of 63.1 and 103.7 microM, respectively.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 361-763, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Sang
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Seon A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seong Su
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Kyong Soon
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Myung Koo
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Bang Yeon
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Jai Seup
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D029909:Sophora / Q000737:chemistry*; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors