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IMPORTANCE OF FLAVONOIDES IN THERAPEUTICS

This reviewcovers ,various categories of structurally novel therapeutically active flavonoidsand their derivatives used in therapeutics, their chemical structures, crudedrug sources, mechanisms of action, and  interactionswith different classes of synthetic drugs.

Flavonoides like kaempferol,myricetin, and quercetin are strong inhibitors of xanthine oxidase, andindicated in the treatment of gout, hyperuricemia, and reperfusion injury. Thealdoreductase inhibition property of flavonoids found to be useful in diabetesinduced retinopathy and cataract.Catechins acts as an antiulcer agent byinhibiting the H⁺/ K ATPase .Liquritigenin administration inexperimental animals showed significant fall  in serum cholesterol. The cardio toxicity of doxorubicin can be counteredby flavonoides like luteolin. Silymarin is proved as an effectivehepatoprotective agent. Tyrosinase inhibitors like Butein (2', 4’, 3, 4-Tetrahydroxychalcone)andother chalcones have become increasingly important in the cosmetic andmedicinal products used in the prevention of hyperpigmentaion.

Usually HPLC, HPTLC and UV spectrophotometric methods can be used effectively for the qualitative and quantitative estimation of Flavonoides and related compounds in crude drugs. Researches are underway to study the effect of several flavonoids in diseases such as pneumonia, cancer, amoebic dysentery, worm infestations through bioinformatics studies of docking flavonoides on different protein structures involved in these diseases. 

By Shohaib.T et al

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