Ethnopharmacological Uses, Pharmacological Activities, and Therapeutic Applications of Tectochrysin in Medicine: An Important Class of Dietary Flavonoid

Abstract

Background: Natural products and their derived pure phytochemicals have enormous potential to treat human disorders and associated secondary complications. Natural products are widely consumed by humans due to their rich phytochemical content, diverse therapeutic potential and cost-effectiveness compared to allopathic medicine. Flavonoids are a well-known class of polyphenolic compounds widely present in the plant kingdom. Tectochrysin is an important class of dietary flavonoids present in foods and fruits. Tectochrysin has anti-tumor, anti-Alzheimer’s, and antimicrobial activities in medicine. Pharmacological studies have signified the biological application of tectochrysin in health sectors for the treatment of hepatic and gastrointestinal complications. Methods: This current review summarizes the updated scientific information on the medicinal importance and pharmacological activities of tectochrysin. Scientific information on tectochrysin was collected from PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Google with some additional resources, including books, dissertations, and scientific reports in the present work. Collected scientific information was further categorized into medicinal uses, pharmacological activities, and analytical aspects in the present paper. Furthermore, detailed pharmacological activities of tectochrysin were discussed in the present work, with analytical aspects used for the separation, isolation and identification of tectochrysin in order to explore its therapeutic potential in medicine. Results: Phytochemical analysis of propolis, Alpinia oxyphylla and Lychnophora markgravii led to the isolation of tectochrysin. This present work signified the anticancer activity of tectochrysin on prostate cancer, human colon cancer, and breast cancer. Moreover, its anti-osteoporosis, antiinflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-diarrheal, and hepatoprotective activity were also discussed in the present work. Further effectiveness of tectochrysin in Alzheimer's disease, SARSCoV- 2, nitric oxide production, aryl hydrocarbon receptor, and age-related diseases was further explored in the present work. It has been found that experimental animal data also supports its antimicrobial, anti-oxidant, and metabolic functions. Analytical data indicated its separation, isolation, and identification in different samples. Conclusion: Scientific data presented in this review signifies the biological importance and therapeutic potential of tectochrysin in medicine.