Ku shen
•Last Updated: November 18 2022
Sophora flavescens (Ku Shen) is a medicinal herb from China that appears to possess mostly anti-cancer properties. It may also inhibit the 5-Alpha Reductase enzyme and PDE5 potently, promoting hair growth and erectogenesis.
Ku shen is most often used for
Last Updated: November 18 2022
Note that Ku shen is also known as:
- Ku Shen
- Kushen
- Ku-Shen
- Sophora Flavescens
1.^Sun M, Cao H, Sun L, Dong S, Bian Y, Han J, Zhang L, Ren S, Hu Y, Liu C, Xu L, Liu PAntitumor activities of kushen: literature reviewEvid Based Complement Alternat Med.(2012)
2.^Li K, Wang HSimultaneous determination of matrine, sophoridine and oxymatrine in Sophora flavescens Ait. by high performance liquid chromatographyBiomed Chromatogr.(2004 Apr)
3.^Zhang L, Liu W, Zhang R, Wang Z, Shen Z, Chen X, Bi KPharmacokinetic study of matrine, oxymatrine and oxysophocarpine in rat plasma after oral administration of Sophora flavescens Ait. extract by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometryJ Pharm Biomed Anal.(2008 Aug 5)
4.^Kuroyanagi M, Arakawa T, Hirayama Y, Hayashi TAntibacterial and antiandrogen flavonoids from Sophora flavescensJ Nat Prod.(1999 Dec)
5.^Berghe WV, De Naeyer A, Dijsselbloem N, David JP, De Keukeleire D, Haegeman GAttenuation of ERK/RSK2-driven NFκB gene expression and cancer cell proliferation by kurarinone, a lavandulyl flavanone isolated from Sophora flavescens ait. rootsEndocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets.(2011 Sep 1)
6.^Shin HJ, Kim HJ, Kwak JH, Chun HO, Kim JH, Park H, Kim DH, Lee YSA prenylated flavonol, sophoflavescenol: a potent and selective inhibitor of cGMP phosphodiesterase 5Bioorg Med Chem Lett.(2002 Sep 2)
8.^Zhang JH, Zhao YY, Liu QX, Ye XJStudies on the chemical constituents from Sophora flavescens aitZhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi.(2000 Jan)
9.^Woo ER, Kwak JH, Kim HJ, Park HA new prenylated flavonol from the roots of Sophora flavescensJ Nat Prod.(1998 Dec)
10.^Jung HA, Jin SE, Park JS, Choi JSAntidiabetic complications and anti-Alzheimer activities of sophoflavescenol, a prenylated flavonol from Sophora flavescens, and its structure-activity relationshipPhytother Res.(2011 May)
11.^Bai L, Zhu LY, Yang BS, Shi LJ, Liu Y, Jiang AM, Zhao LL, Song G, Liu TFAntitumor and immunomodulating activity of a polysaccharide from Sophora flavescens AitInt J Biol Macromol.(2012 Dec)
12.^Cho CH, Chuang CY, Chen CFStudy of the antipyretic activity of matrine. A lupin alkaloid isolated from Sophora subprostrataPlanta Med.(1986 Oct)
13.^Gao G, Law FCPhysiologically based pharmacokinetics of matrine in the rat after oral administration of pure chemical and ACAPHADrug Metab Dispos.(2009 Apr)
14.^Wang H, Guo S, Qian D, Qian Y, Duan JAComparative analysis of quinolizidine alkaloids from different parts of Sophora alopecuroides seeds by UPLC-MS/MSJ Pharm Biomed Anal.(2012 Aug-Sep)
15.^Srinivasan VSChallenges and scientific issues in the standardization of botanicals and their preparations. United States Pharmacopeia's dietary supplement verification program--a public health programLife Sci.(2006 Mar 27)
16.^Wu X, Yamashita F, Hashida M, Chen X, Hu ZDetermination of matrine in rat plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography and its application to pharmacokinetic studiesTalanta.(2003 Apr 10)
19.^Wu XL, Hang TJ, Shen JP, Zhang YDDetermination and pharmacokinetic study of oxymatrine and its metabolite matrine in human plasma by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometryJ Pharm Biomed Anal.(2006 Jun 7)
20.^Hu ZL, Tan YX, Zhang JP, Qian DHEffects of inhibitor of protein kinase C on brain edema formation evoked by experimental cerebral ischemia in gerbils and ratsYao Xue Xue Bao.(1996)
21.^Xu M, Yang L, Hong LZ, Zhao XY, Zhang HLDirect protection of neurons and astrocytes by matrine via inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway contributes to neuroprotection against focal cerebral ischemiaBrain Res.(2012 May 15)
22.^Cui L, Zhang X, Yang R, Wang L, Liu L, Li M, Du WNeuroprotection and underlying mechanisms of oxymatrine in cerebral ischemia of ratsNeurol Res.(2011 Apr)
23.^Fan H, Li L, Zhang X, Liu Y, Yang C, Yang Y, Yin JOxymatrine downregulates TLR4, TLR2, MyD88, and NF-kappaB and protects rat brains against focal ischemiaMediators Inflamm.(2009)
24.^Huang M, Hu YY, Dong XQ, Xu QP, Yu WH, Zhang ZYThe protective role of oxymatrine on neuronal cell apoptosis in the hemorrhagic rat brainJ Ethnopharmacol.(2012 Aug 30)
25.^Zhang K, Li YJ, Yang Q, Gerile O, Yang L, Li XB, Guo YY, Zhang N, Feng B, Liu SB, Zhao MGNeuroprotective effects of oxymatrine against excitotoxicity partially through down-regulation of NR2B-containing NMDA receptorsPhytomedicine.(2012 Dec 5)
27.^Zhou XH, Wei X, Huang ZS, Cen C, Yin YX, Qin YQ, Su QBEffects of matrine on proliferation and telomerase activity of colon cancer SW1116 cellsZhong Yao Cai.(2009 Jun)
28.^Effects of Matrine on Telomerase Activity and on Proliferation of Human HepG2 and QGY Hepatoma Cell Lines
29.^Jung HA, Moon HE, Oh SH, Kim BW, Sohn HS, Choi JSKinetics and molecular docking studies of kaempferol and its prenylated derivatives as aldose reductase inhibitorsChem Biol Interact.(2012 May 30)
30.^Quang TH, Ngan NT, Minh CV, Kiem PV, Tai BH, Nhiem NX, Thao NP, Luyen BT, Yang SY, Kim YHAnti-Inflammatory and PPAR Transactivational Properties of Flavonoids from the Roots of Sophora flavescensPhytother Res.(2012 Oct 30)
31.^Yu P, Liu Q, Liu K, Yagasaki K, Wu E, Zhang GMatrine suppresses breast cancer cell proliferation and invasion via VEGF-Akt-NF-kappaB signalingCytotechnology.(2009 Apr)
32.^Li LQ, Li XL, Wang L, Du WJ, Guo R, Liang HH, Liu X, Liang DS, Lu YJ, Shan HL, Jiang HCMatrine inhibits breast cancer growth via miR-21/PTEN/Akt pathway in MCF-7 cellsCell Physiol Biochem.(2012)
33.^Zhang Y, Zhang H, Yu P, Liu Q, Liu K, Duan H, Luan G, Yagasaki K, Zhang GEffects of matrine against the growth of human lung cancer and hepatoma cells as well as lung cancer cell migrationCytotechnology.(2009 Apr)
34.^Jiang T, Zhu Y, Luo C, Lu X, Zhang W, Qiu F, Huang JMatrine inhibits the activity of translation factor eIF4E through dephosphorylation of 4E-BP1 in gastric MKN45 cellsPlanta Med.(2007 Sep)
35.^Zhang J, Li Y, Chen X, Liu T, Chen Y, He W, Zhang Q, Liu SAutophagy is involved in anticancer effects of matrine on SGC-7901 human gastric cancer cellsOncol Rep.(2011 Jul)
36.^Dai ZJ, Gao J, Ji ZZ, Wang XJ, Ren HT, Liu XX, Wu WY, Kang HF, Guan HTMatrine induces apoptosis in gastric carcinoma cells via alteration of Fas/FasL and activation of caspase-3J Ethnopharmacol.(2009 May 4)
37.^Zhang S, Zhang Y, Zhuang Y, Wang J, Ye J, Zhang S, Wu J, Yu K, Han YMatrine Induces Apoptosis in Human Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells via the Mitochondrial Pathway and Akt InactivationPLoS One.(2012)
38.^Zhang JQ, Li YM, Liu T, He WT, Chen YT, Chen XH, Li X, Zhou WC, Yi JF, Ren ZJAntitumor effect of matrine in human hepatoma G2 cells by inducing apoptosis and autophagyWorld J Gastroenterol.(2010 Sep 14)
39.^Zhang P, Wang Z, Chong T, Ji ZMatrine inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of the androgen‑independent prostate cancer cell line PC-3Mol Med Report.(2012 Mar)
40.^Chen K, Hu Z, Wang T, Guo H, Ye ZInhibitory effect of matrine on the expression of PSA and AR in prostate cancer cell line LNCaPJ Huazhong Univ Sci Technolog Med Sci.(2008 Dec)
41.^Chen K, Hu ZQ, Wang T, Guo JL, Guo H, Ye ZQMatrine inhibits the proliferation of prostate cancer cells and the activity of androgen receptorZhonghua Nan Ke Xue.(2008 Aug)
42.^Liu XS, Jiang J, Jiao XY, Wu YE, Lin JHMatrine-induced apoptosis in leukemia U937 cells: involvement of caspases activation and MAPK-independent pathwaysPlanta Med.(2006 May)
43.^Jiang H, Hou C, Zhang S, Xie H, Zhou W, Jin Q, Cheng X, Qian R, Zhang XMatrine upregulates the cell cycle protein E2F-1 and triggers apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway in K562 cellsEur J Pharmacol.(2007 Mar 22)
44.^Liu XY, Fang H, Yang ZG, Wang XY, Ruan LM, Fang DR, Ding YG, Wang YN, Zhang Y, Jiang XL, Chen HCMatrine inhibits invasiveness and metastasis of human malignant melanoma cell line A375 in vitroInt J Dermatol.(2008 May)
45.^Chen CH, Lai JM, Chou TY, Chen CY, Su LJ, Lee YC, Cheng TS, Hong YR, Chou CK, Whang-Peng J, Wu YC, Huang CYVEGFA upregulates FLJ10540 and modulates migration and invasion of lung cancer via PI3K/AKT pathwayPLoS One.(2009)
46.^Roh SS, Kim CD, Lee MH, Hwang SL, Rang MJ, Yoon YKThe hair growth promoting effect of Sophora flavescens extract and its molecular regulationJ Dermatol Sci.(2002 Oct)
47.^Jung MJ, Kang SS, Jung HA, Kim GJ, Choi JSIsolation of flavonoids and a cerebroside from the stem bark of Albizzia julibrissinArch Pharm Res.(2004 Jun)
48.^Lee NK, Son KH, Chang HW, Kang SS, Park H, Heo MY, Kim HPPrenylated flavonoids as tyrosinase inhibitorsArch Pharm Res.(2004 Nov)
49.^Kim SJ, Son KH, Chang HW, Kang SS, Kim HPTyrosinase inhibitory prenylated flavonoids from Sophora flavescensBiol Pharm Bull.(2003 Sep)
50.^Son JK, Park JS, Kim JA, Kim Y, Chung SR, Lee SHPrenylated flavonoids from the roots of Sophora flavescens with tyrosinase inhibitory activityPlanta Med.(2003 Jun)
51.^Ryu YB, Westwood IM, Kang NS, Kim HY, Kim JH, Moon YH, Park KHKurarinol, tyrosinase inhibitor isolated from the root of Sophora flavescensPhytomedicine.(2008 Aug)
52.^Hyun SK, Lee WH, Jeong da M, Kim Y, Choi JSInhibitory effects of kurarinol, kuraridinol, and trifolirhizin from Sophora flavescens on tyrosinase and melanin synthesisBiol Pharm Bull.(2008 Jan)
53.^Hwang JH, Lee BMInhibitory effects of plant extracts on tyrosinase, L-DOPA oxidation, and melanin synthesisJ Toxicol Environ Health A.(2007 Mar 1)
54.^Lin P, Zhang J, Rong Z, Han R, Xu S, Gao R, Ding Z, Wang J, Feng H, Cao SStudies on medicamentous inhibitory therapy for esophageal precancerous lesions--3- and 5-year inhibitory effects of antitumor-B, retinamide and riboflavinProc Chin Acad Med Sci Peking Union Med Coll.(1990)
55.^Zhang Z, Wang Y, Yao R, Li J, Yan Y, La Regina M, Lemon WL, Grubbs CJ, Lubet RA, You MCancer chemopreventive activity of a mixture of Chinese herbs (antitumor B) in mouse lung tumor modelsOncogene.(2004 May 6)
56.^Sit DS, Gao G, Law FC, Li PCGas chromatography-mass spectrometry determination of matrine in human plasmaJ Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci.(2004 Sep 5)