Author(s):

Venkateswara Rao P, SDVS Kiran, Rohini P and Bhagyasree P

Abstract: Many of the currently available drugs have been derived from natural sources. Apart from their physiological roles in the plants, flavonoids are important components of the human diet, even though they are not considered as nutrients. Flavonoids are a major class of plant secondary metabolites that serves a multitude of functions including pigments and antioxidant activity. Naringenin is a naturally occurring flavanone (flavonoid) known to have a bioactive effect on human health and is mainly found in fruits (grapefruit and oranges) and vegetables. Naringenin possesses various biological activities such as antidiabetic, antiatherogenic, antidepressant, immunomodulatory, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, DNA protective, hypolipidaemic, antioxidant, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) activator, and memory improving. A number of molecular mechanisms underlying its beneficial activities have been elucidated. Further this review aims to provide newer insights and will certainly lead to a new era of flavonoid based pharmaceutical agents for the treatment of many infectious and degenerative diseases.

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