TAXIFOLIN BENEFITS
TAXIFOLIN BENEFITS
Taxifolin is a plant flavonoid occurring in the fruit of milk thistle [S.
marianum]. This fruit has been used since ancient times as a
medicinal plant for the treatment of liver diseases [1]. The extract,
known as sylimarin, contains flavonoids such as sylibin and
taxifolin. Sylibin has been well-studied and its hypocholesterolemic
effect has also been noticed.
CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING ACTIVITIES
In a study of rats, Krecman et al. [2] studied found that pure silybin
was not as effective as silymarin. This suggested that other
constituent(s) of silymarin, in addition to silybin, also have
hypocholesterolemic effects. Subsequently, the minor constituent
of silymarin, taxifolin, has attracted Andre TheriaultÂ’s attention,
because taxifolin constitutes the flavonoid moiety in the flavolignan
silybin. Hence, Andre Theriault and coworkers investigated how
taxifolin affected lipid profiles in a study using human hepatoma
cell-line, HepG2, as the model system. They had a few key findings:
(1) taxifolin inhibits cholesterol synthesis in a dose- and time-
dependent manner, (2) taxifolin suppresses HMG-CoA reductase
activity and cholesteryl ester formation (3) taxifolin inhibits the
synthesis and secretion of triacylglycerol and phospholipids and (4)
taxifolin decreases the secretion of apoB into LDL-like particles.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITIES
Taxifolin also demonstrated anti-inflammatory activities in in-vitro
studies. Taxifolin down-regulated the expression of intercellular
adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). It impeded the calcium influx
induced by fMLP (a receptor-mediated activator) or AlF(4)(-) (a G
protein-mediated activator) and effectively inhibited the fMLP- or
PMA-induced ROS production with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC
(50)) less than 10microM, possibly through impairing the activation
of NADPH oxidase.[4]
REFERENCES
[1] Morazzoni, P., Bombardelli, E. 1995. Silybum marianum. Cardus
marianus Fitoterapia. 66:6-42. [2] Krecman, V., Skottova, N.,
Walterova, D., Ulrichova, J., Simanek, V. 1998. Silymarin inhibits the
development of diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats. Planta
Med. 64:138-142. [3] Casaschi A et al, Inhibitory activity of diacylglycerol
acyltransferase (DGAT) and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) by the
flavonoid, taxifolin, in HepG2 cells: potential role in the regulation of apolipoprotein B
secretion. Atherosclerosis. 2004 Oct;176(2):247-53. [4] Wang YH Prevention of
macrophage adhesion molecule-1 (Mac-1)-dependent neutrophil firm adhesion by
taxifolin through impairment of protein kinase-dependent NADPH oxidase activation
and antagonism of G protein-mediated calcium influx. Biochem Pharmacol. 2004 Jun 15;
67(12):2251-62.
Taxifolin is a plant flavonoid occurring in the fruit of milk thistle [S.
marianum]. This fruit has been used since ancient times as a
medicinal plant for the treatment of liver diseases [1]. The extract,
known as sylimarin, contains flavonoids such as sylibin and
taxifolin. Sylibin has been well-studied and its hypocholesterolemic
effect has also been noticed.
CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING ACTIVITIES
In a study of rats, Krecman et al. [2] studied found that pure silybin
was not as effective as silymarin. This suggested that other
constituent(s) of silymarin, in addition to silybin, also have
hypocholesterolemic effects. Subsequently, the minor constituent
of silymarin, taxifolin, has attracted Andre TheriaultÂ’s attention,
because taxifolin constitutes the flavonoid moiety in the flavolignan
silybin. Hence, Andre Theriault and coworkers investigated how
taxifolin affected lipid profiles in a study using human hepatoma
cell-line, HepG2, as the model system. They had a few key findings:
(1) taxifolin inhibits cholesterol synthesis in a dose- and time-
dependent manner, (2) taxifolin suppresses HMG-CoA reductase
activity and cholesteryl ester formation (3) taxifolin inhibits the
synthesis and secretion of triacylglycerol and phospholipids and (4)
taxifolin decreases the secretion of apoB into LDL-like particles.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITIES
Taxifolin also demonstrated anti-inflammatory activities in in-vitro
studies. Taxifolin down-regulated the expression of intercellular
adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). It impeded the calcium influx
induced by fMLP (a receptor-mediated activator) or AlF(4)(-) (a G
protein-mediated activator) and effectively inhibited the fMLP- or
PMA-induced ROS production with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC
(50)) less than 10microM, possibly through impairing the activation
of NADPH oxidase.[4]
REFERENCES
[1] Morazzoni, P., Bombardelli, E. 1995. Silybum marianum. Cardus
marianus Fitoterapia. 66:6-42. [2] Krecman, V., Skottova, N.,
Walterova, D., Ulrichova, J., Simanek, V. 1998. Silymarin inhibits the
development of diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats. Planta
Med. 64:138-142. [3] Casaschi A et al, Inhibitory activity of diacylglycerol
acyltransferase (DGAT) and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) by the
flavonoid, taxifolin, in HepG2 cells: potential role in the regulation of apolipoprotein B
secretion. Atherosclerosis. 2004 Oct;176(2):247-53. [4] Wang YH Prevention of
macrophage adhesion molecule-1 (Mac-1)-dependent neutrophil firm adhesion by
taxifolin through impairment of protein kinase-dependent NADPH oxidase activation
and antagonism of G protein-mediated calcium influx. Biochem Pharmacol. 2004 Jun 15;
67(12):2251-62.
| Researchers found pure silybin was not as effective as silymarin for cholesterol-lowering. Based on this research result, researchers found another element inside silymarin having cholesterol-lowering activities. And, that is taxifolin. |
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