sophora flavescens

Sophora flavescens is a perennial shrub in the Fabaceae family, widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for over two thousand years. The dried roots, known as "Ku Shen" or "Kushen," are traditionally employed to treat diarrhea, jaundice, skin rashes, and parasitic infections[1][3][4]. Its main bioactive constituents include alkaloids such as matrine and oxymatrine. These compounds exhibit a range of pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial (notably against Staphylococcus aureus), antiviral (with limited evidence for hepatitis B and coxsackie B viruses), and antitumor effects demonstrated in laboratory studies[1][5][6]. Matrine has been shown to induce apoptosis in cancer cells by inhibiting matrix metalloproteinase 9 via downregulation of the NF-kappa B pathway and suppressing angiogenesis through VEGF/VEGFR2 inhibition[1]. In ulcerative colitis models with damp heat accumulation syndrome (DHAS), Kushen-based formulations have shown clinical effectiveness by modulating immune responses such as IL‑1β and IL‑17 suppression[5]. Despite promising preclinical data for cancer and other indications, robust clinical trial evidence is lacking. The herb also exhibits estrogenic activity; thus it may stimulate hormone-sensitive cancers[1].

Brand names

Equilibrant

Other names

Ku ShenKushenBitter rootDogol-evs rootLightyellow sophora rootShargal lider rootShrubby sophora rootSle-tres rootSofora zheltovataya rootSophora angustifolia rootSophorae flavescentis radixSophorae radix