What is Apigenin?
Apigenin is a flavanoid-type compound. Apigenin sources in nature include plants like: celery, celeriac, parsley, onions, chamomile, oranges, and other plants to less extent in free and conjugated forms. It can even be found in plant-based beverages like beer and wine. Apigenin structure contains two hydroxyphenyl moieties linked together. As apigenin solubility is not as good, supplements containing its derivatives are quite popular. Due to this structure, apigenin possesses a wide variety of biological activities like:
- antioxidant
- anti-mutagenic
- anti-inflammatory
- antiviral
- anticancer
- antidiabetic
- stimulates enzymes for detoxication and immune systems response
- and many more
Antioxidative activity of apigenin
First and foremost, as a flavonoid type compound, apigenin is an antioxidant. Due to its structure, apigenin is able to effectively scavenge reactive radicals throughout our bodies like reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and metal cations that are able to promote damaging reactions in our body.
Having antioxidative potential apigenin can be used in cosmetics or supplements to prevent damage of the skin and DNA by UV light and reactive molecules leading to mutations and inflammations.
Many of the following benefits against various diseases are precisely attributed to apigenin’s antioxidative potential.
Possible anti-cancer agent
Recent medicinal chemistry studies have identified apigenin’s cancer chemoprotective ability.
For example, women with diets containing apigenin-high foods were at lower risk of breast cancer. Similar effects have been observed also against several other types of cancer like pancreatic, prostate, ovarian, cervical, lung, thyroid, colorectal cancer, and also against glioblastoma and leukemia.
All of this is achieved through several cellular mechanisms. It has been identified that apigenin is able to induce apoptosis, inhibit cell proliferation and angiogenesis by inhibiting several classes of enzymes leading to these effects.
Apigenin’s positive effect on the cardiovascular system
The antioxidative potential of apigenin leads to its benefits for our cardiovascular system as well.
Doctors and pharmacists have shown that low-density lipoprotein especially oxidized ones are the main cause of cardiovascular diseases causing blockage of the blood vessels. The same lipoproteins are the initiators of inflammatory response in many cardiovascular diseases. Apigenin can inhibit enzymes directly responsible for the release of inflammatory cytokines.
Neuroprotective effect of apigenin
Apigenin foods have also been studied for neuroprotective effects. Scientists have identified that apigenin has a protective effect on neural cells, it can decrease intracellular reactive oxygen species production, promote healing of oxidative damage, reduce inflammatory cytokines, and much more.
Antimicrobial effect
The antibacterial effect of apigenin supplements has been tested on several strains on various strains and species. It showed a positive effect by directly inhibiting the growth of the bacteria or by resensitizing bacterias back to the antibiotics, that previously were ineffective – resistant.
Apigenin has also exhibited inhibiting properties of several viruses like herpes simplex virus 1 and 2, hepatitis C, influenza, African Swine fever, and many more.
Its antifungal properties have also been tested on several species of fungi. It showed a similar effect to commercially used Terbinafine.
In conclusion
Apigenin has been quite a hot topic among medicinal chemists. A lot of work has been put to establish a wide variety of biological actions that apigenin can provide. And a lot is still being researched. If you wish to join the research of this wonderful compound visit our store, to buy apigenin now.
