Japanese Sophora (plant) - Medicinal Properties And Contraindications, The Use Of Japanese Sophora Tincture

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Sophora Japanese: medicinal properties, use and contraindications

Sophora japonica is a large deciduous tree of the legume family, reaching a height of 25–30 meters. He has a powerful root system, branched stems and a wide crown. Leaves are odd-pinnate, elliptical, grow in pairs. Stems and leaves are covered with light, appressed hairs. Flowers are yellowish, butterflies, collected in dense apical brushes. Fruits are slightly overtightened clavate beans. The fruits ripen 3-6 seeds of reddish or black color.

Sophora blooms in July-August, fruits ripen in September-October, do not fall from the branches all winter. The plant is widespread in China, Japan, Vietnam, Transcaucasia, Central Asia, in the south of Ukraine.

Content:

• Useful properties of Japanese Sophora
• The healing properties of Japanese Sophora
• Application of Sophora
• Sophora fruit
• Sophora Japanese tincture
• Sophora based recipes
• Medicines with Japanese Sophora
• Contraindications to the use of Sophora

Useful properties of Japanese Sophora

Japanese sophora contains a large amount of alkaloids: in the leaves - 3%, in the seeds - 4%, in the roots 2-3%. They also form the basis of the chemical composition of the plant. In addition, the roots contain phenolic dyes, and the seeds contain up to 6% fatty oil. Also, bioactive substances such as kaempferol, quercetin, flavonoids, organic acids and vitamin C were isolated from different parts of Sophora.

In addition, rutin was identified in the flowers of the plant, which has the properties of vitamin P. This substance well reduces the fragility of capillaries, therefore it is indispensable in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, typhus and measles. Doctors in some countries in Southeast Asia suggest that specially prepared flowers of the plant can prevent the occurrence of a stroke, since the substances contained in them effectively strengthen the walls of blood vessels and lower blood pressure.

Unblown buds and fruits of the plant are used as medicinal raw materials. The buds are cut in June-July, when they are just starting to bloom, the fruits are harvested after ripening, carefully breaking off or cutting the pods with pruners in dry weather. The collected raw materials are cleaned of twigs and impurities and sent for drying as soon as possible. Fruits and flowers are dried in well-ventilated rooms or in dryers at a temperature of 25-30 ° C, stirring occasionally. The finished raw materials are stored in multilayer paper bags.

The healing properties of Japanese Sophora

What are the benefits of preparations based on Japanese Sophora:

• They restore elasticity to the walls of blood vessels, making them less fragile and brittle;
• Regulate the metabolism of many systems of the human body and metabolic processes in it, allowing you to lower blood glucose and cholesterol levels;
• Cleanse blood vessels from cholesterol plaques;
• Perceptibly reduce blood pressure;
• They cleanse the subcutaneous vessels to the capillary level, they intensively supply the hair follicles with blood and stimulate hair growth;
• They help to strengthen the immune system and, thereby, reduce the likelihood of allergic reactions;
• Improves blood supply to tissues, which has a positive effect on the prevention of strokes, heart attacks and visual impairments associated with the trophism of the vessels feeding the eyes;
• Reduces swelling of tissues and joints;
• They fight against the prothrombin of the capillaries and small vessels of the scalp, which helps in the fight against hair loss.

The positive effect of Japanese Sophora on the blood supply system makes it an indispensable remedy for such serious complications of diabetes mellitus as diabetic atherosclerosis with numbness of the legs and the development of gangrene. This complication, threatening the patient's life, begins its development with darkening of the fingers of the lower extremities, in advanced cases it threatens with amputation and death.

Sophora Japanese also helps with complications of obliterating endarteritis - spontaneous gangrene. In this disease, the arteries of the leg and foot are affected. Their lumen narrows, the general blood supply to the tissues of the limbs is disrupted. The effect of taking drugs based on sophora is noted already on the 4-5th day, when an improvement in blood supply becomes noticeable.

Increased capillary permeability, a predisposition to bleeding requires the use of drugs from sophora at the same time as taking ascorbic acid (vitamin C).

Sophora japonica in medicine

The preparations made on the basis of this plant are used to treat the most severe forms of tuberculosis, even with the formation of cavities in the lungs. These pathological changes stop in their development, the regeneration process starts. Sophora preparations act as an antihelminthic agent for all types of parasites. They are especially effective on hepatic worms.

The effectiveness of Japanese Sophora has been proven in the treatment of pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. Medicines created on its basis regenerate the gastric mucosa, neutralize excess acidity of gastric juice, and have a positive effect on the tissues of the pancreas.

In the first days of treatment of gastrointestinal tract pathologies, there is a short-term increase in pain in the epigastric region. Deep lesions of the mucous membrane, ulceration of the muscle wall of the stomach make themselves felt only on the 20th day from the beginning of therapy with Sophora drugs. There are no methods for relieving these pains, they indicate the regeneration of the mucous membrane, and they need to be transferred.

The hypoglycemic (hypoglycemic) properties of Sophora make it possible to use it at any stage of diabetes mellitus:

• In the initial stages - as the only drug, subject to the principles of dietary nutrition;
• In complicated forms - in combination with drugs for the treatment of the underlying disease.

The stimulating properties of this universal remedy are widely used in the treatment of impotence and to normalize blood pressure in case of hypotension. As a local remedy, extracts and infusions with this medicinal plant are used as a compress, rinsing, wet applications and dressings, rinsing and irrigation of various cavities of the human body and skin lesions.

Application of Sophora

In traditional medicine, the drug "Pahikarpin" is used, obtained from the herb of the plant. It is used to relieve hypertensive crises, as well as for some other diseases accompanied by spasms of peripheral vessels. The drug is effective in myopathies.

In folk medicine, various medicinal forms of the plant are used. For example, infusions of Sophora are used for pulmonary hemorrhages, skin diseases, liver and stomach diseases. Oral preparations from fruits are prescribed for sleep disorders, high blood pressure, to improve appetite. Decoctions and infusions of Sophora are good for dysentery, stomach and duodenal ulcers, and inflammatory processes.

Sophora is one of the most popular medicinal plants for the treatment of hemorrhagic vasculitis. It is effective even in diseases such as angina pectoris and hypertension, rheumatism, diabetes mellitus, and sclerotic dissection of the walls of blood vessels. Sophora is indispensable for diseases of the stomach and liver.

Sophora fruit

Sophora fruits serve as raw materials for the preparation of medicines, the most valuable biologically active substance of which is rutin. In traditional medicine, powders, tablets and infusions are produced from the fruits of the plant. They are used to treat trophic ulcers and deep wounds, and they are also used as a lotion for purulent wounds. The bactericidal effect of the fruits is due to the presence of quercetin and genistein in them.

In folk medicine, the fruits are used for the preparation of infusions and tinctures. Topically, these drugs are often prescribed to treat burns, frostbite, trauma, cutaneous tuberculosis, lupus, trophic ulcers, and psoriasis. Internally, they are used to prevent and stop internal bleeding of various etiologies, as well as for the treatment of atherosclerosis, angina pectoris, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, typhus, liver disease, hemorrhoids.

Infusion of the fruit treats gum disease, runny nose, barley. Alcohol and essential extracts from fruits have antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, hay and Escherichia coli.

Sophora Japanese tincture

Sophora tincture is the most common type of medicine made from the fruit of the tree. For tincture, you can use both fresh and dried fruits.

How to make Japanese Sophora tincture? The tincture is easy to make at home. For its preparation, fresh fruits are taken in a weight ratio to alcohol 1: 1, dry fruits - 1: 2. Raw materials must be pre-crushed, then placed in a dark glass dish and filled with 70% alcohol solution. It takes three weeks to infuse the drug in a dark place at room temperature. After the expiration date, the tincture should be filtered, squeezed out and stored in a cool dark place in a dark glass bottle.

Treatment with Sophora tincture. Sophora tincture is used to treat a huge number of diseases. For example, it is effective in the treatment of rheumatism, sepsis, gastritis and ulcerative colitis, gastric and duodenal ulcers. It is prescribed for diseases of the kidneys and liver, typhus, diarrhea, early stages of tuberculosis, as well as for worms. The tincture is prescribed for the prevention of internal bleeding of various origins.

The drug is widely used as an external remedy for the treatment of carbunculosis and furunculosis, eczema, fungal diseases, scaly lichen, light and medium wounds, with frostbite and burns of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd degrees of severity. In a diluted form, the tincture is lubricated on the scalp to prevent hair loss.

Sophora based recipes

There are many recipes for the preparation of medicines based on sophora. And they all have a blood-purifying, wound-healing, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect. Despite the fact that the mechanism of the therapeutic action of Sophora is not fully understood, recipes based on it are increasingly used by doctors who know and choose the healing properties of the plant. For the preparation of decoctions, infusions, extracts, ointments and other medicines from sophora, at a certain time, harvesting of fruits and unblown flowers (buds) of the plant is carried out.

Infusion of Sophora. The infusion is used for frequent bleeding and increased capillary permeability, it is prescribed for hemorrhage in the retina.

Recipe 1. To prepare the infusion, grind 20 g of dried flowers into a powder, then pour 250 ml of boiling water over them and leave for about two hours. The infusion should be filtered and taken 1-2 tablespoons three times a day after meals.

Recipe 2. For external use, 20 g of chopped fruits are poured in 250 ml of boiling water, insisted for 15 minutes. and then filter. It is recommended to wash your hair with infusion in case of hair loss.

Sophora broth. It is used as an antipyretic agent, for the treatment of malaria, pulmonary tuberculosis, neurasthenia and neuritis, and is also used as a sedative for jaundice, fever, and malignant tumors.

Recipe 1. 1 tablespoon of finely chopped roots, you need to pour 1 glass of boiling water, simmer in a water bath for 10-12 minutes, cool and strain, then add boiled water to the previous volume. Take the medicine 25 g three times a day.

Recipe 2. 20 grams of plant fruits need to be poured with 200 ml of boiling water, boiled over low heat for 15 minutes. The broth should be cooled and filtered, and then thoroughly rubbed into the hair roots, after 5 minutes, rinse the hair well.

Sophora extract. The extract is used externally to strengthen and grow hair. It helps well with burns, purulent wounds, bedsores, psoriasis, ulcers of the lower extremities with varicose veins, diabetes mellitus, osteomyelitis. The rutin present in the extract protects the human skin from free radicals, thereby stopping skin aging.

Sophora extract contains ethyl alcohol, purified water, glycerin, fruits and inflorescences of the plant. The drug is widely used as a cosmetic product.

Medicines with Japanese Sophora

On the basis of this plant, which has exceptional healing properties, many herbal remedies have been created.

They are classified as dietary supplements and are used in the following cases:

• For the treatment of pathologies of the peripheral circulatory system and their prevention;
• With dermatoses of various etiologies, alopecia (baldness);
• For relief of complications of diabetes mellitus;
• With venous insufficiency;
• For the treatment of sexual impotence (impotence) and other disorders of the male genital area;
• With bleeding;
• To increase immunity under increased stress, increase the adaptive capabilities of the body.

Conservative medicine uses Japanese Sophora as a raw material for the production of medicines.

Pachikarpin

The drug is available in the form of tablets and a solution in ampoules for injection, it is used to treat the following conditions of the body:

• In obstetric practice: to stimulate contractions in labor, stop bleeding after childbirth.
• With inflammation of the nerve nodes;
• In the treatment of obliterating endarteritis;
• For the prevention and treatment of peripheral vascular spasms;
• With myopathy.

Method of administration: orally before meals, and in the form of subcutaneous injections (to relieve spasms and stimulate labor).

The use of Pachikarpin in the treatment of various diseases:

• Inflammation of the nerve nodes - the duration of treatment is 2 weeks, 2 times a day it is required to take 0.5-1 g;
• Myopathy - treatment is 1.5 - 2 months, it is carried out 3 times a year, 0.1 g is taken per day;
• Obliterating endarteritis - the course of treatment is 1-1.5 months, its recurrence is possible in 2-3 months. Take 0.05-0.1 g of the drug 3 times per day.

The maximum allowable dose for adults is 0.2 g, the daily dose is 0.6 g, with subcutaneous injections - a single dose of no more than 0.15 g, the daily dose is no more than 0.45 g.

Soforin

The medicine is produced in the form of a tincture of unfermented Sophora fruits in 48% ethyl alcohol.

It is used for external treatment of skin lesions:

• Burns,
• Abscesses
• Trophic ulcers
• Cellulitis.

With the help of Soporin, irrigations, rinsing are carried out, and medical compresses are made. Internal use of the tincture is allowed in accordance with the dosage prescribed by the instructions. Contraindications to the use of the drug should be taken into account - this is an individual intolerance to the components of Soporin.

Ascorutin

Available in tablet form, the main indications for use are:

• Treatment of capillary pathologies, especially blood vessels, affected by the intake of salicylates and anticoagulants, as well as prevention of diseases of the peripheral circulatory system;
• Treatment of hypovitaminosis associated with a lack of vitamins P and C;
• Treatment of diseases, the symptom of which is a violation of vascular permeability;

The course of treatment with Ascorutin lasts no more than one month, a second course is prescribed exclusively on the recommendation of the attending physician:

• For prevention - children over 3 years old take 1/2 - 1 pc. per day, children over 12 years old and adults - 1-2 pcs. per day.
• For treatment - children over 3 years old take 1/2 - 1 pc. 2-3 times a day, children over 12 years old and adults - 1-2 pcs. 2-3 times a day.

This dose can be adjusted by the attending physician depending on the severity of the disease and its manifestations.

Contraindications to the use of Sophora

In most patients taking herbal remedies with Sophora, it does not cause any side effects, it is well tolerated. It must be remembered that medicines in which this plant is the main component have a very important feature. In the human body, the active substances of Sophora tend to accumulate, and side effects in the form of allergic manifestations do not appear immediately, but after a fairly long time.

Because of this, a patient suffering from rashes, itching, allergic dermatitis may not immediately determine the source of his discomfort. During treatment with Sophora, you should carefully monitor the reaction of your body, and if such symptoms appear, seek medical help.

Contraindications to the use of Japanese Sophora:

• Individual intolerance;
• Activities related to driving vehicles, operating machines or mechanisms;
• Work that requires concentration of attention;
• The waiting period for the child (1 trimester) and lactation;
• Age up to 3 years.

The following side effects may occur: flatulence, pain in the intestines and epigastric region, nausea and vomiting, and upset stools.

Sophora during pregnancy

Sophora alkaloids have a fairly high activity, a pronounced effect not only on the nervous system, but also on the digestive tract, the human circulatory system. They are able to pass through the placental barrier, and the rutin component can cause miscarriage, as it stimulates contractions of all muscles, including the muscles of the uterus. These reasons should be the reason for deciding whether the intake of these drugs is really so necessary.

Most often, the doctor deliberately takes such a risk if the threat to the mother's life without this drug exceeds the threat to the health of the fetus. The use of Sophora for the treatment of pregnant women with renal or hepatic insufficiency is definitely prohibited, since there is a risk of incomplete elimination of the drug components from the body. The appearance of a reaction in the form of vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, dyspepsia is the reason for discontinuation of the drug.

The author of the article: Sokolova Nina Vladimirovna | Phytotherapist

Education: Diploma in "General Medicine" and "Therapy" received at the Pirogov University (2005 and 2006). Advanced training at the Department of Phytotherapy at the Peoples' Friendship University of Moscow (2008).