• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.118-125
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• 2021

Leguminosae plants are known for its phytoestrogen constituents which play a major role in the prevention of osteoporosis, cancer and heart disease. In this study, the estrogenic activity of 158 samples from 58 species, 3 subspecies and 10 varieties of Leguminosae plants growing in Korea was evaluated. An estrogen, 17β-estradiol was used as a reference compound, and the potency of each sample was expressed in relative efficacy (%) compared to that of the reference by a reporter gene assay using MCF-7 cells. As results, the estrogenic activity of methanolic extracts of Phaseolus vulgaris var. humilis, Sophora flavescens, Lespedeza × robusta, Indigofera pseudotinctoria, Maackia amurensis, Glycine soja, Wisteria floribunda, Robinia pseudoacacia, Astragalus sinicus, Pueraria lobata, Lespedeza maximowiczii var. tomentella, Trifolium repens and Crotalaria sessiliflora showed similar to or higher at 100 ㎍/ml than the positive control at 10 nM. These findings can be a potential evidence for developing estrogen alternatives resolving various types of menopause symptoms with information on proper harvest season and usage plant part. To the best of our knowledge, the estrogenic activity of Lespedeza × robusta, Indigofera pseudotinctoria, Wisteria floribunda, Robinia pseudoacacia and Lespedeza maximowiczii var. tomentella is reported for the first time in this study.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.1-6
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• 2004

Phytoestrogens are considered to exhibit biological activities in human and animal. There are few data on the contents of phytoestrogens in woody plants. This study was undertaken to examine phytoestrogen contents in five species (Albizzia coreana, Albizzia julibrissin, Gleditsia japonica var. koraiensis, Maackia fauriei and Sophora japonica) of leguminosae. An HPLC method was employed for the first time to analyze phytoestrogens in five species. The contents of daidzein and genistein were in the range of 2.9~170.5 ㎍/g and 1.3~118.4 ㎍/g, respectively. Daidzein and genistein were most abundantly present in the Sophora japonica among the samples examined.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.63-71
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• 2019

Two unrecorded alien plants, Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam. and M. indicus (L.) All. (Leguminosae) were found in Korea. M. officinalis is native to Eurasia and widely distributed in agricultural regions throughout the world. M. indicus is native to Mediterranean and Southwestern Europe, and naturalized in temperate regions all over the world. These species are morphologically similar to M. suaveolens (Jeon-dong-ssa-ri). However, M. officinalis is distinguished from M. suaveolens by transverse nerved legumes, definite ovary stalks, and five to eight number of ovules in ovary. M. indicus is also distinguished from M. suaveolens by smaller size of flowers, broadly triangular calyx teeth, globose legumes, and minutely papillose seeds. The local name of M. officinalis and M. indicus were given as "Ju-reum-jeon-dong-ssa-ri" and "Jom-jeon-dong-ssa-ri" based on transverse nerved legumes and overall smaller size than M. suaveolens, respectively. The descriptions on morphological characters and photographs at the habitat of M. officinalis and M. indicus are provided.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.547-555
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• 2008

Two naturalized plants of Lespedeza from Korea are reported. L. lichiyuniae T. Nemoto, H. Ohashi & T. Itoh is similar to L. cuneata (Dum. Cours.) G. Don. and L. juncea (L. .f.) Pers. in morphology, but the species differs from them by pink or purple flowers and the under surface of leaflets and cleistogamous pods with densely hairs. L. davidii Franchet is distinguished by distinctly large leaflets from the other Korean Lespedeza and by plants covered with densely tomentose hairs from the Korean species of subgenus Macrolespedeza. In Korea two plants are found on the parks or roads prepared recently.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.592-596
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• 2009

In this study, we investigated the levels of glutathione (GSH) and its oxidized form (GSSG) in more than 40 kinds of plant materials including seedling plants, grains, vegetables, and processed foods. The glutathione contents in the seedling plants were ranged from 0 to $120{\mu}mol/100g$. In addition, the different levels of glutathione were observed within the same family and between species. In the case of marketed grains and vegetables, azuki and kidney beans of leguminosae contained the high levels of glutathione, whereas glutathione was scarcely detected in the processed bean foods (bean paste, soybean sauce, etc.). Overall, a higher GSH content in food may contribute to a higher added value.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.321-324
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• 2004

The n-butanol soluble fraction of the extract obtained from the whole plants of Ononis serrata afforded the pterocarpan derivative medicarpin-3-O-glucoside and the isoflavone glucoside rothindin. Structures were elucidated by chemical methods, detailed spectral analyses as well as comparison with the literature data.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.134-135
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• 2002

Legumes are important agricultural and commercial crops characterized by root nodules formed as a result of the symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia. Due to the economic significance the chemistry of some of these species has been well recognized. Soybeans and processed soy products, which contain isoflavonoids and saponins, are of wide interest for their multifacted biological effects. (omitted)

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2008

From the 70% EtOH extract of the roots of Astragalus membranaceus (Leguminosae), fifteen saponins were isolated and identified as astragaloside I (1), isoastragaloside II (2), astragaloside II (3), agroastragaloside I (4), cyclogaleginoside B (5), cycloaraloside A (6), brachyoside B (7), agroastragaloside II (8), astragaloside III (9), astragaloside IV (10), astramembranoside A (11), astramembranoside B (12), cylocanthoside E (13), cyclounifolioside B (14) and azukisaponin V methyl ester (15) by spectroscopic methods. Ten compounds 1 - 3, 5 - 7, 9 - 11 and 14 have cycloastragenol as an aglycon, and four compounds 4, 8 , 12, and 13 have cyclocanthogenin as an aglycon. The hairy roots of A. membranaceus were shown to produce previously unreported cycloartane-type saponins such as agroastragalosides I (4) and II (8) and cycloastragenol $3-O-{\beta}-D-xyloside$ (5), together with the known saponins. This is the first report of these saponins (4, 5, and 8) from the intact plant. Although the occurrence of the oleanane-type triterpene saponin, azukisaponin V methyl ester (15), in Astragalus plants has been demonstrated by others, this is the first report of the azukisaponin V methyl ester (15) from the Astragalus plants.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.267-271
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• 2005

Many of plants had been reported having immunostimulating activity. This study reports the immunostimulating activity of Cassia tora L. (Leguminosae) seed, by means of solvent extraction method. Ethanol extract and solvent fractions, n-hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate, n-butanol and aqueous layer of Cassia tora L. seed were tested for immunostimulating activity in vitro. The ethylacetate-soluble fraction caused significant inhibition on the production of nitric oxide by murine macrophages (RAW 264.7), and mouse splenocytes were also stimulated at the concentration of 10 pgfmL. Three anthraquinones, chrysophanol (1), isochrysophanol (2) and aloe-emodin (3) with immunostimulating activity were isolated from the ethylacetate-soluble fraction of Cassia tora L. seed through activity-monitored fractionation and isolation method. These results permit Cassia tora L. to be useful as one the of natural immunostimulating crops.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.105-108
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• 2003

During our research program to find DNA strand-scission agents from higher plants, the MeOH extracts of the stems of Mucuna birdwoodiana Tutcher. (Leguminosae) exhibited the most potent activity with an $IC_{50}$ value of $4.9\;{\mu}g/ml$. Thus, detailed laboratory investigation was performed, and led to the isolation of known compounds, $({\pm})$-catechin (1) and (-)-epicatechin(2) as active principles. Compounds 1 and 2 showed significant activity of DNA strand-scission with $IC_{50}$ values of 10.8 and $7.5\;{\mu}g/ml$, respectively (positive control, bleomycin: $IC_{50}\;3.3\;{\mu}g/ml$.