Abstract
Among the large group of natural polyphenolic flavonoids, acacetin is widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom and remained the part of the food and traditional medication systems across the globe. Acacetin is found naturally in more than 200 plant species belongs to 60 different plant families, but mostly in Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families in the genus of Artemisia, Cirsium, Dendranthema, Saussurea, Dracocephalum, and Origanum. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) system, plant extracts having acacetin with various biological activities are given to cure different ailments including microbial or viral infections, cardiovascular issues, blood glucose fluctuations or diabetes, neurological and immunological disorders, hyperlipidemia, chronic inflammations, cancers or tumor control, hepatic issues, and lot more to count. Acacetin mainly exerts its remarkable effects both at transcriptional as well as translational levels. Acacetin suppressed the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and reduces lipid peroxidation through reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging capability. For many proteins and enzymes, acacetin directly binds with them to regulate their activities, and hence acts as a potent inhibitor of that particular function such as inhibition of sortase enzyme, translational protein enzymes, aldose reductase enzyme, inhibition of cell signaling channels and molecules, and much more. It is concluded that acacetin has the potential to use as a potent inhibitor of multiple proteins, enzymes, signaling molecules and ion channels. These properties make acacetin an appealing candidate to be designed and screened for use as a multipurpose inhibitor for diseases.