Evidence-based·Last reviewed May 31, 2026·How we grade evidence

Pagoda Tree

BotanicalLeguminosae

Traditional Chinese medicine herb (Sophora japonica / Styphnolobium japonicum) used as the primary commercial source of rutin. Modern supplement value rests almost entirely on rutin and related rutosides — useful for mild chronic venous insufficiency symptoms but with thin direct evidence for the whole-plant extract.

Quick decision guide

May help most

Adults with mild chronic venous insufficiency (leg heaviness, oedema) considering a rutoside-class phlebotonic — usually as oxerutins or troxerutin rather than crude pagoda-tree extract.

Common dosing range

500 mg rutin twice daily; standardized whole-plant extract 200-400 mg twice daily. Oxerutin (HR) prescription products dose 1-2 g/day.

When to expect effects

Weeks for oedema and leg symptoms (typical phlebotonic trials are 4-8 weeks).

Watch out for

Don't use Sophora seeds — they contain cytisine-related quinolizidine alkaloids that can be toxic. Stick to flower-bud extracts or purified rutin.

Evidence snapshot

Chronic venous insufficiency (rutoside class)Moderate
Hemorrhoid symptoms (as a phlebotonic)Low
Capillary fragility / easy bruisingLow
Antioxidant / anti-inflammatory claimsLow
Traditional hemostatic usesLow

What is it

The Japanese pagoda tree ( Styphnolobium japonicum , formerly classified as Sophora japonica ) is a deciduous tree in the legume family Fabaceae, native to China and widely planted across East Asia and as an ornamental in Europe and North America. Its dried flower buds (Huai Hua) and fruits (Huai Jiao) have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, primarily as hemostatic agents. The species is the dominant commercial source of rutin (quercetin-3-O-rutinoside), and its buds also yield quercetin, genistein, sophoricoside, and several oxytocic and antithrombotic flavonoids that drive most modern pharmaceutical and supplement uses.

Is it worth it for you?

Use this as a quick fit check, not a diagnosis.

Worth considering if…

You have mild chronic venous insufficiency and want a phlebotonic — choose a standardized rutoside/oxerutin product, not a crude pagoda-tree powder
You're considering rutin supplementation and want to know its botanical source
You're researching traditional Chinese medicine ingredients

Probably skip if…

You're looking for a well-evidenced herbal supplement — the whole-plant extract has very little human RCT data
You're using it for vague antioxidant or 'detox' claims
You're tempted by pagoda-tree SEED products — seeds contain cytisine-like alkaloids
You take anticoagulants or are pregnant — discuss with your prescriber first
You expect it to replace compression stockings for moderate-to-severe venous insufficiency

Evidence at a glance

Chronic venous insufficiency (as a rutoside)

Good Evidence
Effect
Modest reduction in oedema and lower-leg discomfort; uncertain effect on ulcer healing
Best fit
Adults with mild-to-moderate chronic venous insufficiency (CEAP C0-C3) using compression stockings as primary therapy
Time
4-8 weeks in trials

Hemorrhoid symptoms (phlebotonic adjunct)

Limited Evidence
Effect
Modest symptomatic relief in hemorrhoid flares; effect is class-level (flavonoid venoactives), not pagoda-tree-specific
Best fit
Adults with acute hemorrhoidal flares; usually MPFF/Daflon is the better-evidenced choice
Time
Days to weeks during flare

Capillary fragility / easy bruising

Mixed Evidence
Effect
No reliable modern human evidence
Best fit
Nobody specifically — if easy bruising is a concern, check vitamin C, vitamin K, platelets, and clotting first
Time
Not established

Antioxidant / anti-inflammatory claims

Mixed Evidence
Effect
No human clinical outcome data of meaningful quality
Best fit
Nobody — get flavonoids from a varied diet
Time
Not established for clinical outcomes

Evidence for 4 uses

AI-assisted evidence assessment — talk to your doctor before relying on any single supplement.

Chronic venous insufficiency (as a rutoside)

Supplement benefit
Good Evidence

The 2020 Cochrane review of phlebotonics (which includes the rutoside class: oxerutins, hydroxyethylrutosides, troxerutin) found probable benefit for reducing oedema and possibly leg cramps/restlessness in chronic venous insufficiency, at moderate-certainty evidence. Effect on ulcer healing was uncertain. Most trials used semi-synthetic rutoside derivatives rather than crude pagoda-tree extract, but the active class is downstream of rutin (which pagoda tree is the primary commercial source of).

Effect size
Modest reduction in oedema and lower-leg discomfort; uncertain effect on ulcer healing
Time to effect
4-8 weeks in trials
Best fit
Adults with mild-to-moderate chronic venous insufficiency (CEAP C0-C3) using compression stockings as primary therapy
Less likely
Adults with venous ulcers (C5-C6) — evidence for healing is weak

Bottom line: Reasonable adjunct to compression stockings if your clinician agrees; choose oxerutin or troxerutin (the studied derivatives) over crude pagoda-tree powder.

SourceMartinez-Zapata et al., 2020 (Cochrane) — Cochrane Database of Systematic ReviewsPittler & Ernst, 2012 — Cochrane (legacy update predecessor) / Phytomedicine

Hemorrhoid symptoms (phlebotonic adjunct)

Disease adjunct
Limited Evidence

Rutin-derivatives (especially diosmin-hesperidin combinations, which are flavonoid-class adjacent) have been used for symptomatic hemorrhoidal flares — reducing bleeding and pain in some trials. Direct evidence for pagoda-tree extract or pure rutin in hemorrhoids is thin; most positive evidence comes from MPFF (Daflon) rather than the rutoside class specifically.

Effect size
Modest symptomatic relief in hemorrhoid flares; effect is class-level (flavonoid venoactives), not pagoda-tree-specific
Time to effect
Days to weeks during flare
Best fit
Adults with acute hemorrhoidal flares; usually MPFF/Daflon is the better-evidenced choice
Less likely
People expecting hemorrhoid resolution from a crude pagoda-tree powder

Bottom line: If your physician wants you on a phlebotonic for hemorrhoids, MPFF (Daflon) has more evidence than crude pagoda-tree extract.

SourceWorld Health Organization — WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants Vol. 4 — Flos Sophorae

Capillary fragility / easy bruising

Mechanism only
Mixed Evidence

Rutin's traditional reputation for 'strengthening capillaries' is mechanistic — it inhibits hyaluronidase and may stabilize endothelium in vitro. Older small trials (mostly 1950s-1970s) reported reduced bruising in patients with purpura senilis or scurvy, but quality of these studies is poor by modern standards. No good modern RCT supports rutin or pagoda-tree extract specifically for easy bruising.

Effect size
No reliable modern human evidence
Time to effect
Not established
Best fit
Nobody specifically — if easy bruising is a concern, check vitamin C, vitamin K, platelets, and clotting first
Less likely
Anyone hoping a flavonoid will reverse age-related skin fragility

Bottom line: A mechanistic story without modern trial support. Investigate the medical causes of unusual bruising before trying herbal flavonoids.

SourceWorld Health Organization — WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants Vol. 4 — Flos SophoraeMemorial Sloan Kettering — Sophora — About Herbs

Antioxidant / anti-inflammatory claims

Mechanism only
Mixed Evidence

Rutin and quercetin (both abundant in pagoda tree) have strong in-vitro and animal-model antioxidant activity. Human bioavailability is very low (<1% systemically), and human RCTs of pagoda-tree extracts for clinical inflammation endpoints are essentially absent. Generic 'antioxidant supplement' marketing rests on lab data, not clinical outcomes.

Effect size
No human clinical outcome data of meaningful quality
Time to effect
Not established for clinical outcomes
Best fit
Nobody — get flavonoids from a varied diet
Less likely
Adults expecting measurable inflammation reduction from a flavonoid capsule

Bottom line: Don't buy pagoda-tree extract for 'antioxidant' or 'anti-inflammatory' benefits. The mechanistic story isn't replicated in human trials.

SourceGaneshpurkar & Saluja, 2017 — Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal (review)

How to take it

1. Typical dose
• Crude pagoda-tree extract (standardized to rutin): 200-400 mg twice daily • Pure rutin: 500 mg twice daily (commonly used dose) • Oxerutin / hydroxyethylrutosides (EU prescription class): 1-2 g/day in divided doses • Troxerutin: 600-1,800 mg/day in divided doses
2. Higher studied dose
Up to 3 g/day of rutosides has been used short-term in venous insufficiency trials without significant adverse signal.
3. Timing
Take with a meal. Bioavailability of rutosides is low; food fat may slightly improve absorption.
4. With food
With food.
5. Split dosing
Splitting into 2-3 doses per day is standard for venoactive flavonoids; plasma half-lives are short.
6. How long to try
Trial for 4-8 weeks; reassess. Long-term safety data on the crude pagoda-tree extract are limited.

What to track

Leg oedema (measure ankle circumference at the end of the day)
Subjective heaviness, restlessness, pain in legs
GI tolerance (mild upset is the most common side effect)
Any unusual bruising or bleeding (rare but report)

Bottom line: If you want a phlebotonic, use the studied derivatives (oxerutin, troxerutin) — they have stronger evidence than crude pagoda-tree powder.

5 commercial forms

Compare the main delivery options and what they’re best suited for.

Sophora japonica flower-bud extract

Whole-plant supplement

Most pagoda-tree supplements use dried flower-bud extract, often standardized to 20-95% rutin. Whole-plant matrix; clinical evidence is mostly extrapolated from the purified rutin or oxerutin literature.

Standardized rutin content varies; low systemic bioavailability is typical for the flavonol class.

Purified rutin (rutoside)

Defined-dose flavonoid

Isolated rutin (quercetin-3-O-rutinoside), usually derived from Sophora japonica or buckwheat. 500 mg twice daily is the commonly used supplement dose. Cleaner dosing than crude extract.

Low systemic bioavailability (<1%); metabolized to quercetin glucuronides.

Oxerutins / hydroxyethylrutosides (Venoruton)

Prescription venoactive

Semi-synthetic rutoside derivatives with the strongest evidence among the rutoside class for chronic venous insufficiency. Available as EU prescription (Venoruton) and OTC depending on country.

Better absorbed than parent rutin; clinical evidence base is in the Cochrane review.

Troxerutin

Venoactive derivative

Trihydroxyethylrutoside — another semi-synthetic rutoside used in EU markets for chronic venous insufficiency. Often available combined with other phlebotonics.

Better bioavailability than crude rutin; venoactive indication.

Sophora seed (NOT recommended)

Avoid

Sophora japonica seeds contain cytisine-related quinolizidine alkaloids that can be toxic. Avoid seed-derived products.

Toxic alkaloid content; avoid.

Safety

Know the common side effects, key cautions, and who should avoid it.

Common side effects

mild GI upsetheadache (uncommon)flushing (uncommon)skin rash (rare)

Serious risks

Who should avoid it

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Insufficient safety data on crude pagoda-tree extract; the related rutoside derivatives also lack pregnancy-specific safety data outside of EU-prescription product labels.

SourceMemorial Sloan Kettering — Sophora — About Herbs

Bottom line: Avoid the seeds (toxic). Flower-bud and standardized rutin extracts are well tolerated but interact theoretically with anticoagulants and CYP3A4 substrates.

Interactions

warfarin and other anticoagulantsModerate

In-vitro platelet inhibition by rutin and quercetin raises theoretical additive bleeding risk. Discuss with prescriber before adding.

SourceMemorial Sloan Kettering — Rutin — About Herbs
cyclosporine, tacrolimus (CYP3A4 substrates)Moderate

Quercetin and related flavonoids inhibit CYP3A4 in vitro, raising theoretical risk of elevated drug levels. Avoid concurrent use without prescriber input.

SourceMemorial Sloan Kettering — Sophora — About Herbs
antiplatelet agents (aspirin, clopidogrel)Minor

Theoretical additive antiplatelet effect; clinical events with rutoside-class flavonoids are uncommon.

SourceMemorial Sloan Kettering — Rutin — About Herbs

Food sources

Sophora japonica flower buds, dried (TCM herb)

Amount
Not a food (herbal use)
%DV
—

Buckwheat groats / flour (richest dietary rutin)

Amount
100 g (~20-40 mg rutin)
%DV
—

Asparagus, cooked

Amount
100 g (~15 mg rutin)
%DV
—

Apple with peel

Amount
1 medium (~5-10 mg rutin)
%DV
—

Black tea, brewed

Amount
1 cup (~5-10 mg rutin)
%DV
—

Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons)

Amount
1 medium (modest rutin)
%DV
—

Choosing a product

What to look for on the label — and what to be skeptical of.

Look for…

Standardized to a specific rutin percentage (e.g. 'Sophora japonica extract standardized to 95% rutin')
Specifies which plant part: flower bud (preferred), flower, pod, or whole plant — AVOID seed products
Third-party tested (USP, NSF) — flavonoid content varies widely with extraction method
If you want the strongest evidence-based phlebotonic, look for oxerutin or troxerutin (often EU-prescription) instead of crude pagoda-tree extract
Pure rutin products (rather than the whole-plant extract) are an alternative if you want a defined dose

Be skeptical of…

'Antioxidant cleanse' or 'detox' marketing — no clinical outcome evidence
Anti-cancer claims — only in-vitro and animal data
Pagoda-tree SEED products — toxic alkaloid content
Vague 'capillary tonic' claims without venoactive-class evidence
Combinations with no individual rutin / quercetin dose labeled

References by claim

Capillary fragility / easy bruising

Memorial Sloan Kettering — Sophora — About Herbs (2023) link

Chronic venous insufficiency (as a rutoside)

Martinez-Zapata et al., 2020 (Cochrane) — Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2020) link

Pittler & Ernst, 2012 — Cochrane (legacy update predecessor) / Phytomedicine (2012) link

Hemorrhoid symptoms (phlebotonic adjunct)

World Health Organization — WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants Vol. 4 — Flos Sophorae (2009) link

Antioxidant / anti-inflammatory claims

Ganeshpurkar & Saluja, 2017 — Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal (review) (2017) link

Safety

Memorial Sloan Kettering — Rutin — About Herbs (2024) link

Other references

PubChem — Quercetin from Sophora — PubChem (2024) link

Sophora japonica on Wikidata — Wikidata (2024) link

Track Pagoda Tree with Pilora

Set up dose reminders, check interactions, and join the community in the Pilora iPhone app.

Coming to App Store
Evidence-based·Last reviewed May 31, 2026·Evidence current as of May 31, 2026·How we grade evidence

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This page is educational, not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Evidence grades are AI-assisted assessments — talk to your doctor before starting any new supplement, especially if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, on medications, or managing a chronic condition.