Apigenin (chemically known as 4′, 5, 7-trihydroxyflavone, with molecular formula C15H10O5) is with molecular weight of 270.24. It is a naturally occurring plant flavone and is abundantly present in common fruits such as grapefruit, plant-derived beverages, and vegetables such as parsley, onions, oranges, tea, chamomile, wheat sprouts and in some seasonings.
Apigenin has gained particular interest in recent years as a beneficial and health promoting agent owing to its low intrinsic toxicity and its striking effects on normal versus cancer cells, compared with other structurally-related flavonoids. It has been increasingly recognized as a cancer and tumor chemopreventive agent (for breast cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, hematologic cancer, lung cancer, ovaria cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer, thyroid cancer, endometrial cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, adrenal cortical cancer, leukemia, and neuroblastoma) owing to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer properties.
