Apigenin

Apigenin might not be a word on everyone’s lips, but this compound has plenty to recommend it.

The compound is a flavonoid found in a variety of fruits and vegetables including citrus fruits, vegetables,  herbs and spices. More specifically, olives, onions, cherries, oranges, broccoli, tomatoes, barley, carrots, and legumes.

It is found to activate cell death which is important in serious conditions such as cancer where this process has gone astray. It can affect both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. It also inhibits tumour proliferation by regulating cell cycle regulatory proteins. Apigenin also inhibits angiogenesis by reducing the formation of new blood vessels which cancer needs to survive on. Another cancer effect is to inhibit metastasis by blocking the signalling molecules of VEGF, VEGFR and MMPs.

In a more general sense, apigenin is an anti-inflammatory and a powerful antioxidant.

References

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2018.07.037