Recent Research on Flavonoids and their Biomedical Applications

Flavonoids, commonly found in various plants, are a class of polyphenolic compounds having a basic structural unit of 2-phenylchromone. Flavonoid compounds have attracted much attention due to their wide biological applications. In order to facilitate further research on the biomedical application of flavonoids, we surveyed the literature published on the use of flavonoids in medicine during the past decade, documented the commonly found structures in natural flavonoids, and summarized their pharmacological activities as well as associated mechanisms of action against a variety of health disorders including chronic inflammation, cancer, cardiovascular complications and hypoglycemia. In this mini-review, we provide suggestions for further research on the biomedical applications of flavonoids.

Automated summary

Flavonoids, a class of polyphenolic compounds with a basic structural unit of 2-phenylchromone, have wide potential applications in biomedicine. A review of literature on the medical use of flavonoids in the past decade has documented their pharmacological activities and mechanisms of action against various health disorders. The findings provide suggestions for further research on the biomedical applications of flavonoids.