The extraction of total alkaloids from Sophora alopecuroides L. was enhanced by using ion exchange resin at reduced pressure. At room temperature and 0.08 MPa vacuity for 12 h, 96% of the total alkaloids was extracted from the seed particles of 0.18-0.25 mm using deionized water of pH 3.0 in the presence of the cationic ion exchange resin 001x7 (cross-linked polystyrene, particle size 0.32-1.25 mm, exchange capacity 4.5 mmol g(-1) resin, dry wt.). In contrast, it took the same time to get 72% of total alkaloids in the case without the resin. The yield of total alkaloids extracted at 0.06 MPa vacuity without the resin reached 60%, while that was only 47% in the case at normal pressure.