OCCURRENCE OF PRENYLATED FLAVONOIDS AND OLIGOSTILBENES AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE FOR CHEMOTAXONOMY OF GENUS SOPHORA (LEGUMINOSAE)

A survey of the chemical constituents of Sophora species (Leguminosae) revealed that prenylated flavonoid compounds were extremely abundant in their roots. Their prenylated flavonoids characterized to date can be arranged according to the different carbon skeletons (flavanone, is oflavanone etc.), oxygenation patterns on the B-ring and variation of prenyl groups as C-5 and/or C-10 substituent. The presence or absence of oligostilbenes in the roots an important chemotaxonomic character. The chemotaxonomy of the genus Sophora based on flavonoid compounds an d oligostilbenes in the species reported here showed a close relations hip to its morphological classification, with only a few exceptions.