Flavonoids

Bavachinin is a novel natural pan-PPAR agonist , it shows stronger activities with PPAR-γ than with PPAR-α and PPAR-β/δ (EC50 = 0.74 μmol/l, 4.00 μmol/l and 8.07 μmol/l in 293T cells, respectively). Bavachinin possesses anti-asthma, anti-angiogenic , anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic properties, it also exhibits glucose-lowering properties without inducing weight gain and hepatotoxicity.

Brazilin, isolated from Caesalpinia sappan has been known as a natural red pigment, exhibits the inhibitory effect on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated NO production in a dose-dependent manner (IC50=24.3 microM), might be associated with the regulation of transcription factors NF-kappaB and AP-1; inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) plays an important role in inflammation and carcinogenesis, suggests that the suppressive effect of iNOS gene expression by brazilin might provide one possible mechanism for its anti-inflammatory and cancer chemopreventive activity.

Luteolin-6-C-glucoside has antioxidant activity.

Sakuranetin, a flavanone phytoalexin from ultraviolet-irradiated rice leaves, it has antifungal, antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, it shows a suppressive effect on umu gene expression of SOS response in Salmonella typhimurium TA1535/pSK1002 against the mutagen furylfuramide. Sakuranetin may contribute to maintain glucose homeostasis in animals, it can strongly induce differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, stimulate glucose uptake in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes.Sakuranetin stimulates melanogenesis in B16 melanoma cells via inhibition of ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways, which lead to upregulation of Tyr, TRP1, and TRP2.