Apigenin has a variety of roles, the following is a detailed description of the specific role of apigenin:
1.Anti-cancer effects
Inhibit the growth of tumor cells:
Apigenin can inhibit the growth of many kinds of tumor cells, including liver cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, skin cancer, leukemia and so on. Its anti-cancer mechanism may involve highly selective induction of apoptosis in cancer cells without damaging normal cells.
Apigenin effectively blocks the development of cancer cells by inhibiting several aspects of cancer cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. For example, it has been found that apigenin inhibits the growth of human ovarian cancer cell line CA-OV3 cells and may induce apoptosis by arresting the cells in G2/M phase.
Chemotherapeutic sensitizing effect:
Apigenin may have a sensitizing effect during chemotherapy, i.e. the ability to enhance the inhibitory effect of chemotherapeutic agents on tumor cells. For example, low concentrations of apigenin combined with different concentrations of cisplatin significantly enhanced the inhibitory effect of cisplatin on the proliferation of human acute myeloid leukemia (HL-60) cells.
2.Antioxidant effect
Apigenin, as a powerful antioxidant, can scavenge free radicals in the body and protect cells from oxidative damage, thus preventing or slowing down the occurrence and development of cancer. Its antioxidant effect helps to reduce the mutation and damage of cellular DNA, which in turn reduces the risk of cancer.
3.Immunomodulatory effect
Apigenin is also able to enhance the body’s anti-cancer ability by regulating the immune system. It can promote the activation and proliferation of immune cells and improve the body’s ability to recognize and remove cancer cells.
4.Other mechanisms
Apigenin may also play an anti-cancer role by inhibiting the production and metabolism of carcinogenic substances, inhibiting the production of inflammatory factors and other mechanisms. For example, apigenin can inhibit the growth and reproduction of bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms, thus combating infectious diseases and reducing the risk of cancer caused by infection.
5.Application Prospects
Although the specific mechanism of action and clinical application value of apigenin in cancer therapy still need to be further studied and explored in depth, its potential anticancer effects have attracted widespread attention. In the future, apigenin is expected to play a more important role in cancer prevention and treatment with the deepening of research and the continuous progress of technology.
In conclusion, apigenin, as a flavonoid with multiple biological activities, shows a broad application prospect in cancer therapy. However, most of the current studies remain at the experimental stage, and their clinical applications still need to be carefully evaluated.