Naringin is a naturally occurring dihydroflavonoid with a variety of biological activities and applications. The following is a detailed summary of naringenin:
1. Basic Information
Chemical name: Naringenin, also known as 4′,5.7-trihydroxyflavanone.
Molecular formula: C15H12O5.
Physical Properties: Naringenin is a white or slightly light yellow amorphous powder with a distinctive bitter flavor and faint citrus aroma. It is soluble in ethanol, ether, benzene and acetone, but almost insoluble in water.
Chemical stability: Naringenin is chemically stable, but may undergo hydrolysis or oxidation under specific conditions (e.g., strong acids, strong bases or high temperature).
2. Biological activity
Antibacterial: Naringin has inhibitory effect on many bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, etc. It can kill bacteria and viruses in the body, so as to ensure the balance of flora and prevent and treat bacterial infections.
Anti-inflammatory: naringenin can inhibit the expression of cyclooxygenase 2. reduce prostaglandin synthesis, and also reduce the inflammatory factors produced after the activation of immune cells (e.g. TNF-α, IL-6. NF-κB), inhibit the expression of cytokine mRNA, and promote lysosome-dependent degradation of cytokine proteins, so as to achieve antipyretic, analgesic, and inflammation relief effects.
Antioxidant: Naringenin can scavenge free radicals in the body to achieve antioxidant effect, which helps to improve the condition of the skin, as well as reduce the damage caused by the external environment to the skin. Its antioxidant activity depends to some extent on the mediation of the Nrf2 pathway.
Anti-cancer: Naringenin inhibits tumor cell proliferation and metastasis, induces apoptosis, and enhances the sensitivity of chemotherapeutic drugs. It has a broad application prospect in the treatment of various cancers.
Immunomodulation: Naringenin has immunomodulation effect, which can restore the imbalanced immune state to the near-normal immune balance, and at the same time, enhance the body’s resistance.
Hypolipidemic: Naringenin can reduce the total cholesterol content in blood plasma, strengthen the body’s metabolism, and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and coronary atherosclerotic heart disease.
Others: Naringenin also has the effect of cough expectorant, antispasmodic and choleretic, preventing and treating liver disease, inhibiting platelet coagulation, anti-atherosclerosis. In addition, based on the estrogen-like effect of naringenin, it can also be used for estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausal women.
3. The application field
Pharmaceutical field: Naringenin is widely used in the field of medicine because of its various biological activities, used in the treatment of inflammation, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and so on.
Food: As a natural antioxidant, naringenin can delay the oxidative deterioration of food and improve the shelf life of food. It can also be used as a food additive to add unique aroma and flavor to food.
Cosmetic field: Naringenin has good antioxidant ability, can effectively inhibit the growth and activity of acne-causing bacteria, used in the prevention and treatment of acne disease. In addition, in combination with vitamin A, it has the effect of preventing skin aging, dryness, wrinkles and whitening. However, naringenin has poor water and fat solubility and low bioavailability, which limits its direct application in cosmetics. Therefore, the extraction process and formulation design of naringenin need to be further optimized in the future to improve its stability and bioavailability in cosmetics.
Agriculture and environmental protection: As a natural plant growth regulator, naringenin can promote the growth and development of plants and improve the yield and quality of crops. Meanwhile, it also has antibacterial and antiviral effects, which can prevent and control plant diseases. In terms of environmental protection, naringenin has significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, which can reduce the damage of environmental pollution to organisms and has a potential remediation effect on heavy metal pollution in water bodies.