Therapeutic Promises of Bioactive Linarin, a Glycosylated Flavonoid: A Comprehensive Review With Mechanistic Insight

Linarin, a flavonoid glycoside found in the Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, and Scrophulariaceae families, shows diverse therapeutic benefits in laboratory studies. This study aims to evaluate the pharmacological effects of linarin through clinical and preclinical experiments, investigating its mechanisms against different diseases. To achieve this, data collection and search operations were carried out (current as of April 09, 2024) in several reliable online databases, such as PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Springer Link, ScienceDirect, Wiley Online, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, as part of this research. Studies revealed that linarin provides benefits against inflammation and various diseases, including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, liver injuries, diabetes, hypertension, and neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's, ischemia-reperfusion, convulsions, and depression. Our results further reveal that linarin displays remarkable anticancer potentials through multiple molecular pathways, including apoptotic cell death, oxidative stress induction, cytotoxic effect, antiproliferative effect, genotoxic effect, and mitigation of cancer cell migration and invasion and migration against a range of malignancies, including lung, brain, prostate, and glioma cell cancers. Database reports and the current literature-based study suggest that linarin might be a prospective lead chemical for treating a range of illnesses and ailments. For linarin to be proven as a medicine, further clinical and preclinical trials are required.