Effect of the bioflavonoid morin on HEp-2 cells.

Abstract

Bioflavonoids are plant compounds which aid in disease resistance (MariniBettolo and Monache 1977) and attract pollinating insects (Thompson et al. 1972). Flavonoids have been shown to affect biological systems variably, having antibacterial, antiviral (Miski et al. 1983), antifungal (Donnelly 1977), mutagenic (Brown 1980), antineoplastic and/or enzyme inhibitory properties (Pritsos et al. 1985; Bohmont et al. 1987; Hodnick et al. 1986; Duval et al. 1988). Antibacterial activity against Mycobacterium phlei was demonstrated in five 5,6,7-trisubstituted falvones which were extracted from Gompherena rnartiana and G. boliviana (Pomilio et al 1992). The flavonoid cirsimaritin, which was extracted from the leaves of Salvia palaestina, was demonstrated to have high activity against Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermitis, Echerichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Miski et al. 1983). Antiviral activity was discovered in baicalin, a flavonoid extracted form Seutellaria baicalensis georgi, which inhibited human T and B cells via inhibition of the reverse transcriptase of infected ceils (Baylor et al. 1992). Further, flavonoid inhibition of reverse transcriptase activity in Moloney murine leukemia infected cells has been reported (Chu et al. 1992). For example, a number of flavonoids were shown to inhibit the activity of succinoxidase (Hodnick et al. 1986) and other flavonoids have been reported to inhibit mitochondrial respiration via inhibition of NADH oxidase, succinoxidase and ATPase (Bohmont et al. 1987). Mitochondrial enzymes are not the only enzymes affected by flavonoids. The flavonoid dichlone interferes with liver glycolysis in rats via inhibition of glutathione reductase (Pristos et al. 1985). Antineoplastic activity has been demonstrated in the cytotoxic flavonoid eupatorin which displayed cytotoxic activity against human carcinoma of the nasopharynx (Kupchan et al. 1979). Three flavonoids with inhibitory activities against Epstein-Barr virus early antigen induction by a tumor promoter have been isolated (Murakami 1992). Further, twelve flavonoids which inhibited antineoplastic activity against adenocarcinoma 755, Friend virus leukemia, Lewis lung carcinoma and Walker carcinosarcoma 256 have been reported (Edwards et al 1979).