Inhibition of rat vas deferens contractions by flavonoids in-vitro

Flavonoids are a large heterogeneous group of benzo-gamma-pyrone derivatives, which are abundantly present in our diet. In this study we investigated the effect of ten flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol, morin, galangin, rutin, apigenin, flavone, naringenin, hesperitin and silybin) on the contractile response elicited by electrical field stimulation in the rat isolated vas deferens. All flavonoids tested inhibited vas deferens contractions. The relative order of potency of the tested flavonoids was naringenin > hesperitin > morin > kaempferol > apigenin > silybin > flavone > rutin > quercetin > galangin. Analysis of the chemical structures showed that the saturation of C-2-C-3 double bond and the presence of hydroxyl groups on the flavonoidic scaffold play an important role in the activity of flavonoids.