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Liver disease is a global public problem, and the cost of its therapy is a large financial burden to governments. It is well known that drug therapy plays a critical role in the treatment of liver disease. However, present drugs are far from meeting clinical needs. Lots of efforts have been made to find novel agents to treat liver disease in the past several decades. Acacetin is a dihydroxy and monomethoxy flavone, named 5,7-dihydroxy-4′-methoxyflavone, which can be found in diverse plants. It has been reported that acacetin exhibits multiple pharmacological activities, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammation, anti-virus, anti-obesity, and anti-oxidation. These studies indicate the therapeutic potential of acacetin in liver disease. This review discussed the comprehensive information on the pathogenesis of liver disease (cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, drug-induced liver injury, and hepatocellular carcinoma), then introduced the biological source, structural features, and pharmacological properties of acacetin, and the possible application in preventing liver disease along with the pharmacokinetic and toxicity of acacetin, and future research directions. We systemically summarized the latest research progress on the potential therapeutic effect of acacetin on liver disease and existing problems. Based on the present published information, the natural flavone acacetin is an anticipated candidate agent for the treatment of liver disease.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is characterized by the presence of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, accompanied by neurodegeneration, is the most common form of age-related neurodegenerative disease. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after AD, and is characterized by early prominent loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. As currently available treatments are not able to significantly alter the progression of these diseases, successful therapeutic and preventive interventions are strongly needed. In the course of our survey of substances from natural resources having anti-dementia and neuroprotective activity, we found nobiletin, a polymethoxylated flavone from the peel of Citrus depressa. Nobiletin improved cognitive deficits and the pathological features of AD, such as Aβ pathology, hyperphosphorylation of tau, and oxidative stress, in animal models of AD. In addition, nobiletin improved motor and cognitive deficits in PD animal models. These observations suggest that nobiletin has the potential to become a novel drug for the treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases such as AD and PD.

This review focuses on the synthesis and biological activity of flavones and their related flavonoidic compounds, namely flavonols and aurones. Among the biological activities of natural and synthetic flavones and aurones, their anticancer, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties are highlighted and detailed in this review. Starting from the structures of natural flavones acting on multiple anticancer targets (myricetin, genkwanin, and other structurally related compounds), new flavone analogs were recently designed and evaluated for their anticancer activity. The most representative compounds and their anticancer activity are summarized in this review. Natural flavones recognized for their antimicrobial properties (baicalein, luteolin, quercetol, apigenin, kaempferol, tricin) have been recently derivatized or structurally modulated by chemical synthetic methods in order to obtain new effective antimicrobial flavonoidic derivatives with improved biological properties. The most promising antimicrobial agents are systematically highlighted in this review. The most applied method for the synthesis of flavones and aurones is based on the oxidative cyclization of o-hydroxychalcones. Depending on the reaction conditions and the structure of the precursor, in some cases, several cyclization products result simultaneously: flavones, flavanones, flavonols, and aurones. Based on the literature data and the results obtained by our research group, our aim is to highlight the most promising methods for the synthesis of flavones, as well as the synthetic routes for the other structurally related cyclization products, such as hydroxyflavones and aurones, while considering that, in practice, it is difficult to predict which is the main or exclusive cyclization product of o-hydroxychalcones under certain reaction conditions.

Neuroinflammation is a significant driving force in the pathogenesis and progression of central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs), the key lipid-soluble constituents in Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (CRP), exhibit excellent blood–brain barrier permeability and anti-inflammatory properties, holding therapeutic potential for CNS disorders. However, the specific bioactive components and therapeutic effects of PMFs in treating CNS disorders are not well understood. This study employed a comprehensive sequential metabolism approach to elucidate the dynamic biotransformation of PMFs in vivo and identified seven brain-targeting components. Subsequently, network pharmacology and experimental validation were utilized to explore the potential mechanisms of PMFs. The results suggested that PMFs have potential therapeutic value for Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-like mice, with the inhibition of neuroinflammation likely being a key mechanism of their anti-AD effects. Notably, sinensetin, tangeretin, nobiletin, and 3,5,6,7,8,3′,4′-heptamethoxyflavone were identified as potent neuroinflammatory inhibitors. This research elucidated the chemical and therapeutic foundations of PMFs, indicating their potential as treatments or nutritional supplements for AD prevention and treatment. Moreover, the integrated triad approach of sequential metabolism, network pharmacology, and experimental validation may serve as a promising strategy for screening bioactive compounds in herbs or functional foods, as well as for elucidating their therapeutic mechanisms.

Epidemiological and medical anthropological investigations suggest that flavanol-rich foods exert cardiovascular health benefits. Endothelial dysfunction, a prognostically relevant key event in atherosclerosis, is characterized by a decreased bioactivity of nitric oxide (NO) and impaired flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD). We show in healthy male adults that the ingestion of flavanol-rich cocoa was associated with acute elevations in levels of circulating NO species, an enhanced FMD response of conduit arteries, and an augmented microcirculation. In addition, the concentrations and the chemical profiles of circulating flavanol metabolites were determined, and multivariate regression analyses identified (-)-epicatechin and its metabolite, epicatechin-7-O-glucuronide, as independent predictors of the vascular effects after flavanol-rich cocoa ingestion. A mixture of flavanols/metabolites, resembling the profile and concentration of circulating flavanol compounds in plasma after cocoa ingestion, induced a relaxation in preconstricted rabbit aortic rings ex vivo, thus mimicking acetylcholine-induced relaxations. Ex vivo flavanol-induced relaxation, as well as the in vivo increases in FMD, were abolished by inhibition of NO synthase. Oral administration of chemically pure (-)-epicatechin to humans closely emulated acute vascular effects of flavanol-rich cocoa. Finally, the concept that a chronic intake of high-flavanol diets is associated with prolonged, augmented NO synthesis is supported by data that indicate a correlation between the chronic consumption of a cocoa flavanol-rich diet and the augmented urinary excretion of NO metabolites. Collectively, our data demonstrate that the human ingestion of the flavanol (-)-epicatechin is, at least in part, causally linked to the reported vascular effects observed after the consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa.

The leaves of Agave angustifolia Haw. are the main agro-waste generated by the mezcal industry and are becoming an important source of bioactive compounds, such as phenolic compounds, that could be used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Therefore, the extraction and identification of these phytochemicals would revalorize these leaf by-products. Herein, maceration and supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO[sub.2]) extractions were optimized to maximize the phenolic and flavonoid contents and the antioxidant capacity of vegetal extracts of A. angustifolia Haw. In the maceration process, the optimal extraction condition was a water–ethanol mixture (63:37% v/v), which yielded a total phenolic and flavonoid content of 27.92 ± 0.90 mg EAG/g DL and 12.85 ± 0.53 µg QE/g DL, respectively, and an antioxidant capacity of 32.67 ± 0.91 (ABTS assay), 17.30 ± 0.36 (DPPH assay), and 13.92 ± 0.78 (FRAP assay) µM TE/g DL. Using supercritical extraction, the optimal conditions for polyphenol recovery were 60 °C, 320 bar, and 10% v/v. It was also observed that lower proportions of cosolvent decreased the polyphenol extraction more than pressure and temperature. In both optimized extracts, a total of 29 glycosylated flavonoid derivatives were identified using LC-ESI-QTof/MS. In addition, another eight novel compounds were identified in the supercritical extracts, showing the efficiency of the cosolvent for recovering new flavonoid derivatives.

Flavones are known as an inhibitor of tankyrase, a potential drug target of cancer. We here expedited the use of different computational approaches and presented a fast, easy, cost-effective and high throughput screening method to identify flavones analogs as potential tankyrase inhibitors. For this, we developed a field point based (3D-QSAR) quantitative structure-activity relationship model. The developed model showed acceptable predictive and descriptive capability as represented by standard statistical parameters r 2 (0.89) and q 2 (0.67). This model may help to explain SAR data and illustrated the key descriptors which were firmly related with the anticancer activity. Using the QSAR model a dataset of 8000 flavonoids were evaluated to classify the bioactivity, which resulted in the identification of 1480 compounds with the IC 50 value of less than 5 µM. Further, these compounds were scrutinized through molecular docking and ADMET risk assessment. Total of 25 compounds identified which further analyzed for drug-likeness, oral bioavailability, synthetic accessibility, lead-likeness, and alerts for PAINS & Brenk. Besides, metabolites of screened compounds were also analyzed for pharmacokinetics compliance. Finally, compounds F2, F3, F8, F11, F13, F20, F21 and F25 with predicted activity (IC 50 ) of 1.59, 1, 0.62, 0.79, 3.98, 0.79, 0.63 and 0.64, respectively were find as top hit leads. This study is offering the first example of a computationally-driven tool for prioritization and discovery of novel flavone scaffold for tankyrase receptor affinity with high therapeutic windows.

Radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD) is a severe complication of thoracic radiotherapy. Total flavone of Abelmoschus Manihot (L.) Medik. (TFA) demonstrates therapeutic potential on RIHD. However, its metabolic mechanisms remain elusive. This study aims to elucidate the change of serum metabolic profile of RIHD treated with TFA and identify potential metabolic pathways for mitigating irradiation damage. We randomly divided 100 RIHD patients into two groups, (1) TFA group: patients receiving TFA intervention ( n  = 50) and (2) non-TFA group: the other not receiving intervention ( n  = 50). The serum of patients was collected separately after the treatment. GC-MS metabolomics analysis employed to investigate differential metabolites in the serum of these patients. Multivariate (PCA/OPLS-DA) and univariate analyses identified differentially abundant metabolites (VIP > 1.0, p  < 0.05, FC > 1.2) and enriched pathways. The non-TFA group exhibited profound metabolic disturbances characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction (depleted citrate with accumulated succinate/lactate), amino acid imbalance (elevated phenylalanine/tyrosine/tryptophan alongside reduced arginine and disrupted arginine-citrulline ratio), and lipotoxic stress (accumulated long-chain fatty acids including palmitic/arachidic acid with ketone body dysregulation). TFA intervention significantly reversed these perturbations: it restored citric acid cycle homeostasis through attenuated depletion of citrate and reduced succinate/lactate accumulation; rebalanced amino acid metabolism by lowering aromatic amino acids, elevating arginine levels to normalize the arginine/citrulline axis, and enhancing glycine/serine/threonine flux; and ameliorated lipid dysregulation via suppression of long-chain fatty acids and stabilization of ketone bodies. Pathway analysis confirmed that TFA can significantly regulate citric acid cycle, arginine biosynthesis, and fatty acid β-oxidation pathways. This study provides the first evidence that TFA counteracts RIHD metabolic pathology through coordinated mechanisms: TFA can repair mitochondrial dysfunction by restoring TCA cycle intermediates and reducing ROS generation. Meanwhile, TFA can reinforce redox defense by the inhibition of proteolysis-derived aromatic amino acids and the support of glutathione-precursor metabolism. Additionally, TFA can attenuate vascular injury by suppressing lipotoxicity while promoting endothelial NO synthesis.

In rice (Oryza sativa), OsF2H and OsFNSII direct flavanones to independent pathways that form soluble flavone C-glycosides and tricin-type metabolites (both soluble and lignin-bound), respectively. Production of soluble tricin metabolites requires CYP75B4 as a chrysoeriol 5′-hydroxylase. Meanwhile, the close homologue CYP75B3 is a canonical flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase (F3′H). However, their precise roles in the biosynthesis of soluble flavone C-glycosides and tricin–lignins in cell walls remain unknown. We examined CYP75B3 and CYP75B4 expression in vegetative tissues, analyzed extractable flavonoid profiles, cell wall structure and digestibility of their mutants, and investigated catalytic activities of CYP75B4 orthologues in grasses. CYP75B3 and CYP75B4 showed co-expression patterns with OsF2H and OsFNSII, respectively. CYP75B3 is the sole F3′H in flavone C-glycosides biosynthesis, whereas CYP75B4 alone provides sufficient 3′,5′-hydroxylation for tricin–lignin deposition. CYP75B4 mutation results in production of apigenin-incorporated lignin and enhancement of cell wall digestibility. Moreover, tricin pathway-specific 3′,5′-hydroxylation activities are conserved in sorghum CYP75B97 and switchgrass CYP75B11. CYP75B3 and CYP75B4 represent two different pathway-specific enzymes recruited together with OsF2H and OsFNSII, respectively. Interestingly, the OsF2H-CYP75B3 and OsFNSII-CYP75B4 pairs appear to be conserved in grasses. Finally, manipulation of tricin biosynthesis through CYP75B4 orthologues can be a promising strategy to improve digestibility of grass biomass for biofuel and biomaterial production.

This study aims to explore the therapeutic mechanisms of Ginkgo Flavone Glycosides (GFGs) delivered via liposomal nanoparticles in treating Diabetic Cardiomyopathy (DCM) by upregulating Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) to restore energy metabolism and autophagy homeostasis. A DCM mouse model was employed, with groups treated with different doses of GFGs. Various evaluations, including body weight, blood glucose levels, and cardiac function, were performed. Network pharmacology, transcriptomic analysis, and molecular docking studies were conducted to elucidate the key role of SIRT1 in inhibiting DCM progression. In vitro experiments and proteomic sequencing were utilized to validate the regulatory effects of SIRT1. The in vivo animal experiment results demonstrated that treatment with Ginkgo Flavone Glycosides (GFGs) significantly improved cardiac function in diabetic cardiomyopathy mice. Specifically, GFG treatment increased the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by approximately 81.3% compared to the Model+Lipo group, reduced the left ventricular internal diameter in systole (LVIDs) by approximately 69.2%, and decreased the left ventricular internal diameter in diastole (LVIDd) thickness by approximately 56.1%. Additionally, GFGs alleviated cardiomyocyte apoptosis, further supporting their therapeutic potential for diabetic cardiomyopathy. Bioinformatics analysis supported the regulation of DCM through the SIRT1/FOSL1/TSPAN4 axis. Proteomic data confirmed the beneficial effects of GFGs on diabetic cardiac energy metabolism and autophagy. Liposomal nanoparticles loaded with GFGs significantly extended drug release to 72 hours. In vitro experiments highlighted the role of SIRT1 in modulating FOSL1 and TSPAN4 expression. Proteomic sequencing further validated the regulatory role of the SIRT1/FOSL1/TSPAN4 signaling pathway in DCM and suggested that GFGs might enhance energy metabolism and autophagy in diabetic hearts by activating SIRT1. Liposomal nanoparticle delivery of GFGs was shown to enhance SIRT1 activation, leading to the deacetylation of FOSL1 and suppression of TSPAN4, ultimately improving energy metabolism and autophagy in DCM. This study introduces a novel potential strategy for the treatment of DCM.