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A plausible mechanism underlying flavonoid-associated cognitive effects is increased cerebral blood flow (CBF). However, behavioural and CBF effects following flavanone-rich juice consumption have not been explored. The aim of this study was to investigate whether consumption of flavanone-rich juice is associated with acute cognitive benefits and increased regional CBF in healthy, young adults. An acute, single-blind, randomised, cross-over design was applied with two 500-ml drink conditions – high-flavanone (HF; 70·5 mg) drink and an energy-, and vitamin C- matched, zero-flavanone control. A total of twenty-four healthy young adults aged 18–30 years underwent cognitive testing at baseline and 2-h after drink consumption. A further sixteen, healthy, young adults were recruited for functional MRI assessment, whereby CBF was measured with arterial spin labelling during conscious resting state at baseline as well as 2 and 5 h after drink consumption. The HF drink was associated with significantly increased regional perfusion in the inferior and middle right frontal gyrus at 2 h relative to baseline and the control drink. In addition, the HF drink was associated with significantly improved performance on the Digit Symbol Substitution Test at 2 h relative to baseline and the control drink, but no effects were observed on any other behavioural cognitive tests. These results demonstrate that consumption of flavanone-rich citrus juice in quantities commonly consumed can acutely enhance blood flow to the brain in healthy, young adults. However, further studies are required to establish a direct causal link between increased CBF and enhanced behavioural outcomes following citrus juice ingestion.

Specific flavonoid-rich foods/beverages are reported to exert positive effects on vascular function; however, data relating to effects in the postprandial state are limited. The present study investigated the postprandial, time-dependent (0–7 h) impact of citrus flavanone intake on vascular function. An acute, randomised, controlled, double-masked, cross-over intervention study was conducted by including middle-aged healthy men (30–65 years, n 28) to assess the impact of flavanone intake (orange juice: 128·9 mg; flavanone-rich orange juice: 272·1 mg; homogenised whole orange: 452·8 mg; isoenergetic control: 0 mg flavanones) on postprandial (double meal delivering a total of 81 g of fat) endothelial function. Endothelial function was assessed by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery at 0, 2, 5 and 7 h. Plasma levels of naringenin/hesperetin metabolites (sulphates and glucuronides) and nitric oxide species were also measured. All flavanone interventions were effective at attenuating transient impairments in FMD induced by the double meal (7 h post intake; P<0·05), but no dose–response effects were observed. The effects on FMD coincided with the peak of naringenin/hesperetin metabolites in circulation (7 h) and sustained levels of plasma nitrite. In summary, citrus flavanones are effective at counteracting the negative impact of a sequential double meal on human vascular function, potentially through the actions of flavanone metabolites on nitric oxide.

Bronchial pneumonia in children is a common infectious disease in toddlers and infants, which may cause hyperpyrexia, pulmonary moist rales, and even respiratory failure. Traditional drugs for bronchial pneumonia in children often lead to drug resistance and side effects. Recently, naringenin has been reported to be a potential treatment for several airway inflammatory diseases due to its anti‐inflammatory and anti‐microbial activities. The current clinical study aimed to evaluate the safety and therapeutic effect of naringenin in treating bronchial pneumonia in children. A total of 180 eligible patients were randomly assigned into naringenin (NAR) group and azithromycin (AZI) group. All participants were required to follow a 5‐day oral administration, and their serum cytokine levels were measured during the clinical intervention. After the treatment, the disappearance time of clinical symptoms, and the incidences of complications and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Naringenin was able to inhibit inflammation, shorten the disappearance time of clinical symptoms, reduce the incidences of bronchial pneumonia complications and related adverse reactions, and improve the health conditions of the patients. Our results suggested that naringenin was safe and beneficial to children with bronchial pneumonia, providing new insights into the clinical application of naringenin.

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) causes porcine pleuropneumonia (PCP), which is clinically characterized by acute hemorrhagic, necrotizing pneumonia, and chronic fibrinous pneumonia. Although many measures have been taken to prevent the disease, prevention and control of the disease are becoming increasingly difficult due to the abundance of APP sera, weak vaccine cross-protection, and increasing antibiotic resistance in APP. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel drugs against APP infection to prevent the spread of APP. Naringin (NAR) has been reported to have an excellent therapeutic effect on pulmonary diseases, but its therapeutic effect on lung injury caused by APP is not apparent. Our research has shown that NAR was able to alleviate APP-induced weight loss and quantity of food taken and reduce the number of WBCs and NEs in peripheral blood in mice; pathological tissue sections showed that NAR was able to prevent and control APP-induced pathological lung injury effectively; based on the establishment of an in vivo/in vitro model of APP inflammation, it was found that NAR was able to play an anti-inflammatory role through inhibiting the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway and exerting anti-inflammatory effects; additionally, NAR activating the Nrf2 signalling pathway, increasing the secretion of antioxidant enzymes Nqo1, CAT, and SOD1, inhibiting the secretion of oxidative damage factors NOS2 and COX2, and enhancing the antioxidant stress ability, thus playing an antioxidant role. In summary, NAR can relieve severe lung injury caused by APP by reducing excessive inflammatory response and improving antioxidant capacity.

Observational studies have suggested that the intake of flavonoids is associated with a decreased risk of CVD. However, the results of these studies remain controversial. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between dietary flavonoid intake and CVD risk by conducting a systematic review of prospective cohort studies. Electronic reference databases were searched to identify studies that met the pre-stated inclusion criteria. The studies were assessed for eligibility and data were extracted by two authors independently. For each study, relative risks (RR) and 95 % CI were extracted and pooled using either a fixed-effects or a random-effects model. Generalised least-squares trend estimation analysis was used to evaluate dose–response relationships. The inclusion criteria were met by fourteen prospective cohort studies. The intakes of anthocyanidins (RR 0·89, 95 % CI 0·83, 0·96), proanthocyanidins (RR 0·90, 95 % CI 0·82, 0·98), flavones (RR 0·88, 95 % CI 0·82, 0·96), flavanones (RR 0·88, 95 % CI 0·82, 0·96) and flavan-3-ols (RR 0·87, 95 % CI 0·80, 0·95) were inversely associated with the risk of CVD when comparing the highest and lowest categories of intake. A similar association was observed for flavonol intake and CVD risk. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses further supported this association. The summary RR for CVD for every 10 mg/d increment in flavonol intake was 0·95 (95 % CI 0·91, 0·99). The present systematic review suggests that the dietary intakes of six classes of flavonoids, namely flavonols, anthocyanidins, proanthocyanidins, flavones, flavanones and flavan-3-ols, significantly decrease the risk of CVD.

Pinocembrin is a natural flavonoid compound extracted from honey, propolis, ginger roots, wild marjoram, and other plants. In preclinical studies, it has shown anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects as well as the ability to reduce reactive oxygen species, protect the blood-brain barrier, modulate mitochondrial function, and regulate apoptosis. Considering these pharmaceutical characteristics, pinocembrin has potential as a drug to treat ischemic stroke and other clinical conditions. In this review, we summarize its pharmacologic characteristics and discuss its mechanisms of action and potential therapeutic applications.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and a major global health problem. In recent decades, the rates of both mortality and morbidity of cancer have rapidly increased for a variety of reasons. Despite treatment options, there are serious side effects associated with chemotherapy drugs and multiple forms of drug resistance that significantly reduce their effects. There is an accumulating amount of evidence on the pharmacological activities of baicalein (e.g., anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, and antitumor effects). Furthermore, there has been great progress in elucidating the target mechanisms and signaling pathways of baicalein’s anti-cancer potential. The anti-tumor functions of baicalein are mainly due to its capacities to inhibit complexes of cyclins to regulate the cell cycle, to scavenge oxidative radicals, to attenuate mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), protein kinase B (Akt) or mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activities, to induce apoptosis by activating caspase-9/-3 and to inhibit tumorinvasion and metastasis by reducing the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2/-9 (MMP-2/-9). In this review, we focused on the relevant biological mechanisms of baicalein involved in inhibiting various cancers, such as bladder cancer, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer. Moreover, we also summarized the specific mechanisms by which baicalein inhibited the growth of various tumors in vivo. Taken together, baicalein may be developed as a potential, novel anticancer drug to treat tumors.

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that impairs neurocognitive functions. Acetylcholinesterase, Butyrylcholinesterase, Monoamine Oxidase B, Beta-Secretase, and Glycogen Synthase Kinase Beta play central roles in its pathogenesis. Current medications primarily inhibit AChE but fail to halt or reverse disease progression due to the multifactorial nature of Alzheimer’s. This underscores the necessity of developing multi-target ligands for effective treatment. This study investigates the potential of phytochemical compounds from Moroccan medicinal plants as multi-target agents against Alzheimer’s disease, employing computational approaches. A virtual screening of 386 phytochemical compounds, followed by an assessment of pharmacokinetic properties and ADMET profiles, led to the identification of two promising compounds, naringenin (C23) and hesperetin (C24), derived from Anabasis aretioides . These compounds exhibit favourable pharmacokinetic profiles and strong binding affinities for the five key targets associated with the disease. Density functional theory, molecular dynamics simulations, and MM-GBSA calculations further confirmed their structural stability, with a slight preference for C24, exhibiting superior intermolecular interactions and overall stability. These findings provide a strong basis for further experimental research, including in vitro and in vivo studies, to substantiate their potential efficacy in Alzheimer’s disease.

Despite the virulence and high fatality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), no specific antiviral treatment exists until the current moment. Natural agents with immune-promoting potentials such as bee products are being explored as possible treatments. Bee honey and propolis are rich in bioactive compounds that express strong antimicrobial, bactericidal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant activities. This review examined the literature for the anti-COVID-19 effects of bee honey and propolis, with the aim of optimizing the use of these handy products as prophylactic or adjuvant treatments for people infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Molecular simulations show that flavonoids in propolis and honey (e.g., rutin, naringin, caffeic acid phenyl ester, luteolin, and artepillin C) may inhibit viral spike fusion in host cells, viral-host interactions that trigger the cytokine storm, and viral replication. Similar to the potent antiviral drug remdesivir, rutin, propolis ethanolic extract, and propolis liposomes inhibited non-structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro, and these compounds along with naringin inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection in Vero E6 cells. Propolis extracts delivered by nanocarriers exhibit better antiviral effects against SARS-CoV-2 than ethanolic extracts. In line, hospitalized COVID-19 patients receiving green Brazilian propolis or a combination of honey and Nigella sativa exhibited earlier viral clearance, symptom recovery, discharge from the hospital as well as less mortality than counterparts receiving standard care alone. Thus, the use of bee products as an adjuvant treatment for COVID-19 may produce beneficial effects. Implications for treatment outcomes and issues to be considered in future studies are discussed.

Acute kidney injury (AKI), characterized by aggressive inflammatory responses and destruction of renal resident cells, can cause abrupt kidney dysfunction. To date, effective therapy for AKI is lacking. In this study, we evaluated the renoprotective effect of wogonin, an herbal active compound, using a cisplatin-induced AKI mouse model. In vivo results show that wogonin substantially suppressed the increased levels of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) almost to the normal level. Wogonin also attenuated tubular damage, shown by PAS staining, electron microscopy and molecular analysis of KIM-1. In addition, wogonin suppressed kidney inflammation as indicated by a >60% decrease in macrophage infiltration, a >50% reduction in inflammatory cytokine production and inhibited NF-κB activation in the injured kidney. Mechanistically, molecular docking results show that wogonin effectively inhibited RIPK1 by occupying the ATP-binding pocket of the enzyme, which is a key regulator of necroptosis. Moreover, inhibition of RIPK1, or RIPK3, reversed the protective effects of wogonin in cisplatin-treated HK2 cells, indicating wogonin works in a RIPK1/RIPK3-dependent manner. Surprisingly, wogonin enhanced the anti-proliferative effect of cisplatin on human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Thus, our findings suggest wogonin may be a renoprotective adjuvant for cisplatin-based anticancer therapy.