Apigenin

Apigenin (4’,5,7-trihydroxyflavone), found in many plants, is a natural product belonging to the flavone class that is the aglycone of several naturally occurring glycosides. It is a yellow crystalline solid that has been used to dye wool. Apigenin is found in many fruits and vegetables, but parsley, celery and chamomile tea are the most common sources.
See also : Flavonoids

Benefits and uses of Apigenin are

• Cancer : Scientific evidence was found about the benefits of apigenin on the suppression of cancer cells. In a study carried out by the UC Riverside biochemists published in the online edition of the National Academy of Sciences, Xuan Liu, professor of biochemistry, and Xin Cai, a post-doctoral researcher, found that apigenin is able to find the protein p53, a well known tumor suppressor that acts as an anti-cancerous agent by stopping cancer cells growth and killing them. The study reveals how apigenin, a flavonoid found in chamomile, parsley and other herbs and vegetables, is also able to not only locate the protein p53, but also to bring it to the cell nucleus where it is able to stop the cell growth in those cases in which the cell DNA has been damaged by cancer.
  • prostate cancer : In a recent study done on mice, apigenin was also found able to suppress prostate cancer progression inhibiting angiogenesis and metastasis.
  • leukemia : In studies on the effectiveness of apigenin on the treatment of leukemia, scientists discovered how apigenin was able to induced natural cell death (apoptosis) in U937 human leukemia cells, exerting also anti-leukemic activity in vivo. It was also discovered that tumor growth in U937 xenografts was attenuated, something that raises the hopes for the medical industry to find proper ways to use this chemopreventive properties on the development of new medicines against leukemia.
  • human myelogenous erythroleukamia and bladder carcinoma.The effects of various types of flavones, among them Apigenin and Luteolin, on two different cancer cell lines, including human chronic myelogenous erythroleukaemia (K562) and bladder carcinoma (RT112) were also part of other studies in the subject of flavones inhibitory properties on human tumor cancer cell lines. The results of one of this studies showed taht the cytotoxic effects of flavones (apigenin and luteolin) on the already mentioned cancer cell lines suggested that flavones Apigenin and Luteolin could be considered as potential chemotherapeutic agents.
  • Cervical cancer : Apigenin didn’t just inhibit the cancer cells it caused them to commit cellular suicide (apoptosis)! The researchers concluded, “These findings suggest that apigenin has strong potential for development as an agent for preventing cervical cancer.
  • Ovarian Cancer : Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School announced that apigenin may have the ability to decrease women’s ovarian cancer risk.
• Heart Disease : It is also well known that diets rich in flavones, as Apigenin, are very beneficial for our health, protecting it against cardiovascular disorders.
• neurological disease
• Relieve Anxiety and Depression
• Brain Health : Flavonoids, increase neurogenesis in the hippocampus of stressed rats, possibly by increasing blood flow to the brain and/or increasing levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).BDNF is a remarkable rejuvenator in several respects. In your brain, BDNF not only preserves existing brain cells, it also activates brain stem cells to convert into new neurons and effectively makes your brain grow larger. The research is just beginning, but now it looks like apigenin could also turn out to be one of our best weapons against debilitating brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
• Allergies

Apigenin Food Sources

• Chamomile
• Parsley
• Celery
• Oregano
• Tarragon
• Cilantro
• Basil
• Onions
• Oranges
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Basil
• Peppermint
• Cloves
• Wheat sprouts
• Apples
• Citrus microcarpa
• Citrus hystrix
• Citrus medica
• Citrus suhuiensis
• Oregano (Origanum vulgare L.)
• Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
• Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)