The word "sophora" refers to a genus of pea-like plants and a type of tree as well as a medicinal element in traditional Chinese medicine. Some of the many species of sophora plants/trees are native plants or are found in landscaping, and medicinal attributes have been connected to some of the species and their plant parts.
Definition
Some of the many species of sophora include sophora flavescens, sophora angustifolia and sophora subprostrata. The sophora is native to eastern Asia.
Background
Sophora has been used in traditional Chinese medicine since 100 A.D., according to Subhuti Dharmananda, the director of the Institute for Traditional Medicine. Dharmananda explains that the roots of the sephora flavescens species are used more than any other species or plant part of the sephora family. Sophora root is also referred to as kushen. To distinguish plant parts used from the sophora subprostrata species, its derivatives are referred to as shandougen. Both kushen and shandougen are referred to in the Chinese "Materia Medici," which is the collective written works of traditional Chinese medicine.
Uses
Kushen is used in traditional Chinese Medicine for ailments ranging from dysentery to eczema, states the Institute for Traditional Medicine. Shandougen has its place in TCM in the treatment of such conditions as baldness and constipation.
Theories/Speculation
Traditional Western medicine is investigating sophora's healthful properties. The University of Maryland Medical Center mentions sophora being one of many herbs used in Chinese medicine for the treatment of mononucleosis. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine notes that oxymatrine, a sophora root extract, is being investigated for its possible use in the treatment of hepatitis C.
Expert Insight
The February 2009 edition of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology published a review of five traditional Chinese medicine modalities in relation to asthma titled, "Efficacy and Mechanisms of Action of Traditional Chinese Medicines for Treating Asthma and Allergy." The conclusion reached: "Evidence from clinical studies supports beneficial effects of TCM herbal therapy on asthma. A number of mechanisms may be responsible for efficacy of these agents." More research will be required before Western medicine will embrace TCM modalities, including sophora.
Warning
Consult your health-care practitioner before taking sophora or any of its extracts.
References
- Dictionary: Sophora
- Institute for Traditional Medicine: Sophora
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Mononucleosis
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: CAM and Hepatitis C
- "Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology": Efficacy and Mechanisms of Action of Traditional Chinese Medicines for Treating Asthma and Allergy
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