Activities of plant-derived phenols in a fibroblast cell culture model

Fourteen plant phenols of five structural groups (flavones, flavonols, flavan-3-ol, isoflavones, and phenylpropanoids) demonstrated concentration-dependent inhibitory or modulatory effects in a fibroblast cell culture model. The most potent inhibitory activity in this investigation was exhibited by apigenin (4), with flavone (1), chrysin (2), and genistein (9) being of somewhat lesser potency. These findings help to provide a better understanding of the action of these plant phenols in inflammatory/immune responses.