Total Flavonoid and Rutin Content of the Different Organs of Sophora japonica L.

Abstract

The total flavonoid content of the flowers, fruits, leaves, and small branches of Sophora japonica L. was determined colorimetrically after addition of 0.lM aqueous aluminum chloride. The total flavonoid and isoflavonoid content of the fruits was determined gravimetrically. Rutin was separated by thin layer chromatography from the different organs, and determined either densitometrically or spectrophotometrically, using a modified elution technique. Rutin was recovered almost completely with an average loss of 2.5%. The percentages of flavonoids and rutin of the flower buds, pericarps, seeds, leaflets, and small branches were 24.29 and 23.5, 10.57 and 4.3, 1.75 and 0.55, 6.63 and 4.7, and 1.5 and 0.26, respectively, while the total flavonoid and isoflavonoid content of the fruits was 43%.