Apigenin Function

Apigenin is a flavone compound found almost ubiquitously in plant compounds. It is most commonly isolated in abundance from the plant Matricaria recutita L, or Asteraceae.

Some of the more popular and abundant sources include chamomile tea grapefruits, onions, oranges and some spices such as parsley. and is also found in higher levels (relative to other foods) in celery, yarrow, tarragon, cilantro, foxglove, coneflower, licorice, flax, passion flower, horehound, spearmint, basil, and oregano. It is also found in red wine and beer and is an active ingredient in the memory herb Gingko Biloba. Chamomile is approximately 0.8-1.2% apigenin by weight.
In food and herbal sources, the active apigenin is found in the form of various acylated derivates and Apigenin-7-O-glucoside.
Apigenin, in the form of Biapigenin, can exert a neuroprotective effect against excitotoxicity and prevent calcium build-up in neural mitochondria.

Apigenin possesses anxiolytic effects by acting as a benxodiazepine ligand, and has no muscle relaxant or sedative effects at normal dosages (3-10mg/kg bodyweight) but sedation was observed at 3 and 10-fold said dose.(30-100mg/kg bodyweight)

Apigenin is known as one of the Bioflavonoids compounds in which has high selectivity to induce selective apoptosis of cancer cells in vivo.Like other bioflavonoid compounds apigenin can reduce oxidative stress, induce cell cycle inhibition, increase hepatic detoxification enzyme efficacy, and act as anti-inflammatory to a degree.

Laboratory animal studies suggest that apigenin exerts anti-mutagenic properties that occur in response to exogenous toxins and bacteria and plays direct roles in metal chelation, free radical scavenging, and induction of phase II detoxification enzymes such as glutathione. It is also an inhibitor of the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase, which may promote some tumor growth.


The presence of Apigenin in vivo seems to exert acute protective effects against carcinogenic insults as well.