MOLECULE

Isovitexin

Isovitexin, also known as homovitexin, apigenin 8-C-glucoside, saponaretin or beta-D-isovitexin, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as flavonoid C-glycosides. Flavonoid C-glycosides are compounds containing a carbohydrate moiety which is C-glycosidically linked to the 2-phenylchromen-4-one flavonoid backbone. Isovitexin, which is an isomer of vitexin, is also described as an apigenin flavone glucoside. It can be found in the passionflower, Cannabis, the açaí palm, mimosa, wheat leaves, and rice hulls of Oryza sativa (PMID: 6991645). Isovitexin is an active component in many traditional Chinese medicines and it is also one of 23 flavonoids that have been identified in cannabis plants (PMID: 6991645). Isovitexin has shown a wide range of pharmacological effects, such as antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperalgesic, and neuroprotective effects (PMID: 27693342). Isovitexin helps to stimulate apoptotic cell death and autophagy of various cancer cells through the upstream regulation of Bax, PARP, p-JNK, and MAPK and the downstream regulation of the caspases Bcl-2 and ERK1/2.