Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

618 Sophora tomentosa Linn.
S
The seeds of S. secundiflora Lag. ex
DC., known as Mescal-or Coral-Bean
(Native to America, grown in Indian
gardens) also contain substantial
amounts of cytisine.
The alkaloid, (−)-N-methylcytisine,
isolated from the seeds, exhibited hypoglycaemic
activity in mice.
Sophora tomentosa Linn.
Family ◮ Popilionaceae; Fabaceae.
Habitat ◮ Grown in gardens for its
bright-yellow flowers.
English ◮ Sea coast Laburnum, Silver
Bush.
Action ◮ Seeds—dangerously
emetocatharitc, toxic, febrifugal,
stomachic. Seeds yield a fatty
oil with expectorant properties.
Decoction of seeds and roots is
given in bilious disorders. Leaves—
emetocathartic.
Constituents of the aerial parts include
benzofurans; flavonoids including
sophoraisoflavone A and B, sophoronol,
iso-sophoranone-and iso-bavachin.
The leaves and seeds contain alkaloids—matrine,
cytisine and small
amounts of methylcytisine. Cytisine
is also present in the roots.
Cytisine possesses insecticidaland
physiological properties similar to
those of nicotine.
Sophoraisoflavone A exhibits antifungal
activity.
Sopubia delphinifolia G. Don.
Family ◮ Scrophulariaceae.
Habitat ◮ Western India, as a root
parasite.
Folk ◮ Dudhaali (Maharashtra).
Action ◮ Root—juice applied to
sores on feet, caused by constant
exposure to water and moisture.
Alcoholic extract of air-dried powdered
stems yielded isoflavonoids,
which were found to be estrogenically
active in albino rats.
Sorbus aucuparia Linn.
Family ◮ Rosaceae.
Habitat ◮ Native to Europe and Asia;
distributed in temperate Himalayas
from Kashmir to Kumaon.
English ◮ European Mountain Ash,
Rowan tree, Mountain Ash Berry.
Folk ◮ Battal (Punjab), Syaar
(Garhwal).
Action ◮ Fruits—antiscorbutic,
depurative, diuretic, astringent,
aperient, emmenagogue. An
infusion is given in haemorrhoids,
strangury and irritation of bladder;
for disorders of the uric acid
metabolism, for dissolution of uric
acid deposits; and for alkalization
of the blood (“blood purification”).
(Seeds contain cyanogenic acid;
should be removed before the fruit
is used.) Leaves—laxative; used as
apectoralincoughandbronchitis.
Bark—astringent. Decoction is
given in diarrhoea. (It is said to
produce irritation of the alimentary
mucous membrane.)