Study on the active rodencide components of Sophora flavescens Ait

The active components of Sophora flavescens were systematicaUy investigated regarding their killing mouse ability and the toxicity to Mus musculus. From the 80% acid alcohol extract of 5. flavescens, five know alkaloids were extracted by chloroform, and were isolated and identified as sophocarpine, matrine, sophoridine, oxymatrine and oxysophocarpine by IR and MS spectroscopic methods and their mp. Toxicity experiment with mice showed that the death of test rats occurred within 48 h and no test rat died after that. The test rat dead time caused by sophocarpine and sophoridine are the shortest, which are 11 min, and that caused by matrine, oxymatrine and oxysophocarpine are longer, which are 2, 4 and 5 h respectively. The median lethal dose (LD50) for mouse (acuta peroral) of 5 alkaloids and total alkaloid from S. flavescens are 123.65, 64.01, 93.56, 85.95, 81.00 and 339.26 mg/kg respectively. Toxicity are lower and LD50 is suitable of matrine, sophoridine, oxymatrine and oxysophocarpine and can be used for rodenticide. LD50 of sophocarpine is larger and cannot be used for rodenticide. Five alkaloids and total alkaloid possess a malicious function in stomach for test rat by mainly acting on the nervous system of the mouse.