Description
Galangin is a flavonoid naturally found in herbs used in traditional medicine. Like many flavonoids, it has potent antioxidant properties. It also has anti-inflammatory actions related to suppression of signaling through NF-κB in mice. Galangin acts as an antagonist of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, inducing apoptosis in cancer cells. It also inhibits cytochrome P450 isoform 1A1 with an IC
50 value of less than 1 μM.
Chemical Properties
Yellow powder
Uses
CYP1A1 inhibitor, vasodilator
Uses
Galangin is a flavanoid found in Alpinia officinarum, galangal rhizome (Alpinia galanga) and in propolis. Galangin has been show to inhibit proliferation of estrogen receptor-positive MCF-7 human breast cancer cells as well as delay of mammary tumorigenesis.
Definition
ChEBI: A 7-hydroxyflavonol with additional hydroxy groups at positions 3 and 5 respectively.
General Description
Galangin is a flavonoid isolated from members of the
Zingiberaceae family, which are mainly used for herbal medicines.
Biochem/physiol Actions
Galangin exhibits antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity properties. In addition, it also possesses anti-genotoxic activity against environmental and dietary carcinogens. Galangin inhibits cancer growth by hindering cancer cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis and autophagy and inhibition of metastasis. Galangin also has an ability to inhibit CYP1A1 (Cytochrome P450, family 1, member A1) activity.
Anticancer Research
Galangin is a flavonol that is derived from Alpinia officinarum, a plant from the gingerfamily, grown in Southeast Asia. The extract from the rhizome suppresses cellproliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells (Su et al. 2013). ER stress is inducedby galangin as is evident by rise in concentration of cytosolic Ca2+ and other UPRtarget genes like CHOP, GRP 78 and GRP 94. The ER is a major storage site forintracellular calcium. Normal functioning of ER chaperones is disrupted by calciumexhaustion in ER which produces ER stress and hence activation of UPR (Hotamisligil2010; Mekahli et al. 2011). CHOP and 4-polybutyric acid siRNA, well-known ERstress inhibitor, substantially blocked stress induced by galangin in the HCC cell line.To sum up, ER stress is upregulated by galangin, inhibiting cancer cell proliferation,and galangin can prove to be an effective anticancer agent (Su et al. 2013).
References
[1] GARRY DUTHIE Philip M. Antioxidant capacity of flavonoids in hepatic microsomes is not reflected by antioxidant effects in vivo.[J]. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2012, 2012: 165127. DOI:
10.1155/2012/165127[2] WANG-JIAN ZHA. Galangin Abrogates Ovalbumin-Induced Airway Inflammation via Negative Regulation of NF-κB.[J]. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013, 2013: 767689. DOI:
10.1155/2013/767689[3] S A QUADRI. The bioflavonoid galangin blocks aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-induced pre-B cell apoptosis.[J]. Molecular Pharmacology, 2000, 58 3: 515-525. DOI:
10.1124/mol.58.3.515[4] WENJING ZHANG. Galangin induces B16F10 melanoma cell apoptosis via mitochondrial pathway and sustained activation of p38 MAPK.[J]. Cytotechnology, 2013, 65 3: 447-455. DOI:
10.1007/s10616-012-9499-1[5] ALAINA M FORBES. Synthesis and anticancer activity of new flavonoid analogs and inconsistencies in assays related to proliferation and viability measurements.[J]. International journal of oncology, 2014, 45 2: 831-842. DOI:
10.3892/ijo.2014.2452[6] H P CIOLINO G C Y. The flavonoid galangin is an inhibitor of CYP1A1 activity and an agonist/antagonist of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor[J]. British Journal of Cancer, 1999, 79 9-10: 1340-1346. DOI:
10.1038/sj.bjc.6690216
