Flavonoidal alkaloids: Emerging targets for drug discovery from Nature's bounty
Zhijian Yao1, Qian Wu2, Wenbing Sheng1
1TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Hunan Provincial TCM and Ethnomedicine Internationnal Science & Technology Innovation Cooperation Base, Hunan Province Laboratory of Natural Medicial Resources and Functions, Changsha 410208, China.
Abstract:
This paper explores the potential of flavonoid alkaloids, a unique class of compounds that contain both flavonoid and alkaloid structures, as emerging targets for drug discovery. These compounds exhibit diverse biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-diabetic effects, which are attributed to the combination of different flavonoid scaffolds and alkaloid groups. Flavonoid alkaloids have attracted researchers' attention due to their diverse structures and important bio-activities. Therefore, this review summarizes recent advances in the extraction, purification, structural characterization, synthesis pathways and biological activities of flavonoid alkaloids from natural sources. Finally, the potential prospects and challenges associated with this class of compounds in pharmacological research are discussed along with details of a mechanistic investigation and future clinical applications in this research field.
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