Apigenin (mainly Parsley) / Ca+2 Cancer Research Results

Api, Apigenin (mainly Parsley): Click to Expand ⟱
Features:

Apigenin — a plant-derived flavone (4′,5,7-trihydroxyflavone) abundant in parsley/celery/chamomile and other dietary sources, often abbreviated APG (or “Api” in some indexes). It is a small-molecule polyphenol classified as a dietary phytochemical/nutraceutical candidate with broad pleiotropic signaling effects in oncology models (cell-cycle control, apoptosis, inflammatory signaling, metabolic stress, and invasion/angiogenesis programs), but with important translation constraints driven by low aqueous solubility and extensive phase-II conjugation.

Primary mechanisms (ranked):

  1. Pleiotropic pro-apoptotic / cell-cycle checkpoint engagement (mitochondrial apoptosis, caspases; CDK/cyclin suppression; p53 context-dependent)
  2. PI3K–AKT–MAPK signaling suppression with downstream anti-proliferative and anti-migration effects
  3. Inflammation axis suppression (NF-κB; COX-2 and pro-inflammatory cytokine programs)
  4. Redox stress reprogramming (often ROS↑ in cancer models; antioxidant/NRF2 effects are context-dependent and can diverge between cancer vs normal cells)
  5. HIF-1α–glycolysis downshift with ATP stress (model-dependent)
  6. Anti-invasive / anti-EMT programs (FAK/integrins; MMP/uPA; EMT markers)
  7. Epigenetic modulation (HDAC/DNMT/EZH2 axes; context-dependent)
  8. Anti-angiogenic signaling (VEGF/related programs; model-dependent)
  9. Stemness pathway pressure (Hh/GLI, CK2; model-dependent)
  10. Chemo-/death-ligand sensitization (e.g., TRAIL sensitization reported in preclinical systems)

Bioavailability / PK relevance: Oral apigenin exposure is commonly limited by poor water solubility and extensive first-pass metabolism (glucuronidation/sulfation). Human data indicate circulating apigenin is largely present as conjugated metabolites, and dietary intake can yield only low (typically sub-µM) systemic levels; lipidic/self-emulsifying formulations can increase exposure in vivo (formulation-dependent). Reported half-life/kinetic parameters vary widely across studies and matrices.

In-vitro vs systemic exposure relevance: Many anti-cancer in vitro studies use ~10–50+ µM apigenin, which can exceed typical achievable free aglycone systemic levels after oral intake; some effects may therefore be high-concentration or formulation-enabled rather than diet-achievable. Tissue-local exposure (GI lumen, local mucosa) may be higher than plasma, and conjugate biology may contribute (context-dependent).

Clinical evidence status: Predominantly preclinical oncology evidence (cell and animal models) with limited, non-definitive human cancer interventional data; at least one pilot clinical study concept exists/has been registered (status-dependent). Strongest human evidence base is for non-cancer indications and general bioactivity rather than oncology efficacy.

Apigenin present in parsley, celery, chamomile, oranges and beverages such as tea, beer and wine.
"It exhibits cell growth arrest and apoptosis in different types of tumors such as breast, lung, liver, skin, blood, colon, prostate, pancreatic, cervical, oral, and stomach, by modulating several signaling pathways."
-Note half-life reports vary 2.5-90hrs?.
-low solubility of apigenin in water : BioAv (improves when mixed with oil/dietary fat or lipid based formulations)
-best oil might be MCT oils (medium-chain fatty acids)


Pathways:
- Often considered an antioxidant, in cancer cells it can paradoxically induce ROS production
(one report that goes against most others, by lowering ROS in cancer cells but still effective)
- ROS↑ related: MMP↓(ΔΨm), ER Stress↑, Ca+2↑">Ca+2, Cyt‑c↑, Caspases↑, DNA damage↑, UPR↑, cl-PARP↑, HSP↓
- Lowers AntiOxidant defense in Cancer Cells: NRF2↓, GSH↓ (Conflicting evidence about Nrf2)
        - Combined with Metformin (reduces Nrf2) amplifies ROS production in cancer cells while sparing normal cells.
- Raises AntiOxidant defense in Normal Cells: NRF2↑, SOD↑, GSH↑, Catalase↑,
- lowers Inflammation : NF-kB↓, COX2↓, p38↓, Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines : IL-1β↓, TNF-α↓, IL-6↓, IL-8↓
- inhibit Growth/Metastases : , MMPs↓, MMP2↓, MMP9↓, IGF-1↓, uPA↓, VEGF↓, ERK↓
- reactivate genes thereby inhibiting cancer cell growth : HDAC↓, DNMT1↓, DNMT3A↓, EZH2↓, P53↑, HSP↓
- cause Cell cycle arrest : TumCCA↑, cyclin D1↓, cyclin E↓, CDK2↓, CDK4↓, CDK6↓,
- inhibits Migration/Invasion : TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, FAK↓, ERK↓,
- inhibits glycolysis and ATP depletion : HIF-1α↓, PKM2↓, cMyc↓, PDK1↓, GLUT1↓, LDHA↓, HK2↓, Glucose↓, GlucoseCon↓
- inhibits angiogenesis↓ : VEGF↓, HIF-1α↓, PDGF↓, EGFR↓, Integrins↓,
- inhibits Cancer Stem Cells : CSC↓, CK2↓, Hh↓, GLi↓, GLi1↓,
- Others: PI3K↓, AKT↓, JAK↓, 1, 2, 3, STAT↓, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Wnt↓, β-catenin↓, AMPK↓,, α↓,, ERK↓, 5↓, JNK↓,
- Shown to modulate the nuclear translocation of SREBP-2 (related to cholesterol).
- Synergies: chemo-sensitization, chemoProtective, RadioSensitizer, RadioProtective, Others(review target notes)
        -Ex: other flavonoids(chrysin, Luteolin, querectin) curcumin, metformin, sulforaphane, ASA
Neuroprotective, Renoprotection, Hepatoprotective, CardioProtective,
- Selectivity: Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells

Apigenin exhibits biological effects (anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, etc.) typically at concentrations roughly in the range of 1–50 µM.

Parsley microgreens can contain up to 2-3 times more apigenin than mature parsley.
Apigenin is typically measured in the range of 1-10 μM for biological activity. Assuming a molecular weight of 270 g/mol for apigenin, we can estimate the following μM concentrations:
10uM*5L(blood)*270g/mol=13.5mg apigenin (assumes 100% bioavailability)
then an estimated 10-20 mg of apigenin per 100 g of fresh weight parlsey
2.2mg/g of apigenin fresh parsley
45mg/g of apigenin in dried parsley (wikipedia)
so 100g of parsley might acheive 10uM blood serum level (100% bioavailability)
BUT bioavailability is only 1-5%
(Supplements available in 75mg liposomal)( Apigenin Pro Liposomal, 200 mg from mcsformulas.com)

A study had 2g/kg bw (meaning 160g for 80kg person) delivered a maximum 0.13uM of plasma concentration @ 7.2hrs.
Assuming parsley is 90-95% water, then that would be ~16g of dried parsley
Conclusion: to reach 10uM would seem very difficult by oral ingestion of parsley.
Other quotes:
      “4g of dried parsley will be enough for 50kg adult”
      5mg/kg BW yields 16uM, so 80Kg person means 400mg (if dried parsley is 130mg/g, then would need 3g/d)
In many cancer cell lines, concentrations in the range of approximately 20–40 µM have been reported to shift apigenin’s activity from mild antioxidant effects (or negligible ROS changes) toward a clear pro-oxidant effect with measurable ROS increases.

Low doses: At lower concentrations, apigenin is more likely to exhibit its antioxidant properties, scavenging ROS and protecting cells from oxidative stress.
In normal cells with robust antioxidant systems, apigenin’s antioxidant effects might prevail, whereas cancer cells—often characterized by an already high level of basal ROS—can be pushed over the oxidative threshold by increased ROS production induced by apigenin.
In environments with lower free copper levels, this pro-oxidant activity is less pronounced, and apigenin may tilt the balance toward its antioxidant function.

Apigenin — cancer-relevant mechanistic pathway matrix

Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells TSF Primary Effect Notes / Interpretation
1 Mitochondrial apoptosis program ΔΨm ↓, Cyt-c ↑, Caspase cascade ↑, apoptosis ↑ ↔ to protective (model-dependent) R Pro-apoptotic stress commitment Frequently reported core phenotype across tumor models; may be downstream of ROS and kinase-network suppression.
2 Cell-cycle control Cyclin D1/E ↓, CDK2/4/6 ↓, arrest ↑ G Anti-proliferative checkpointing Often couples to p53/p21 context and growth-factor signaling downshift.
3 PI3K / AKT / MAPK PI3K ↓, AKT ↓, ERK ↓ (model-dependent) R Growth and survival signaling suppression High industry relevance; provides a convergent explanation for anti-growth and anti-migration phenotypes.
4 NF-κB / COX-2 inflammatory axis NF-κB ↓, COX-2 ↓, inflammatory cytokine programs ↓ Inflammatory tone ↓ G Anti-inflammatory microenvironment pressure Relevant to tumor-promoting inflammation and stromal signaling (context-dependent).
5 ROS modulation ROS ↑ (often), DNA damage ↑, ER stress ↑ (model-dependent) ROS injury ↓ / antioxidant support ↑ (context-dependent) P Redox stress bifurcation (tumor vs normal) Frequently described “paradox”: pro-oxidant stress in tumors while normal cells may show antioxidant protection; not universal.
6 NRF2 / antioxidant defense NRF2 ↓, GSH ↓ (often) ↔ (conflicting) NRF2 ↑, SOD ↑, GSH ↑ (context-dependent) G Antioxidant program reprogramming Direction is context- and model-dependent; important for interpreting chemo-compatibility and ROS claims.
7 HIF-1α / glycolysis HIF-1α ↓, glycolysis ↓, ATP ↓ (model-dependent) G Metabolic stress / Warburg pressure Reported suppression of glycolysis nodes (e.g., GLUT1/LDHA/HK2/PKM2/PDK1) in some models; may be concentration-sensitive.
8 Migration / invasion and EMT EMT ↓, FAK ↓, integrin signaling ↓, MMPs ↓, uPA ↓ G Anti-metastatic phenotypes Often downstream of kinase-network suppression and inflammatory tone changes.
9 Angiogenesis programs VEGF ↓ (model-dependent) G Anti-angiogenic signaling pressure Usually indirect via HIF-1α / inflammatory signaling and tumor-stromal coupling.
10 Epigenetic regulation HDAC ↓, DNMTs ↓, EZH2 ↓ (model-dependent) G Transcriptional reprogramming Mechanistically plausible but often secondary to upstream stress/kinase changes; evidence varies by model.
11 Cancer stemness pathways Hh/GLI ↓, CK2 ↓, CSC phenotypes ↓ (model-dependent) G Stemness pressure Typically preclinical; may matter for recurrence-resistance hypotheses.
12 Chemosensitization / death-ligand sensitization Sensitization ↑ (model-dependent) R Combination leverage Examples include TRAIL sensitization in vitro; translation depends on achievable exposure and interaction risk.
13 Clinical Translation Constraint Low solubility; conjugation-heavy PK; in-vitro concentration gap; potential CYP/UGT/SULT interactions Drug–supplement interaction risk relevant to both Delivery and interaction limitations Oral free-aglycone systemic levels are often low; formulation can change exposure. In vitro CYP inhibition is reported (notably CYP3A4/2C9); apigenin can also inhibit conjugation pathways in models—caution with narrow-therapeutic-index drugs.

TSF

P: 0–30 min
R: 30 min–3 hr
G: >3 hr



Ca+2, Calcium Ion Ca+2: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
In all eukaryotic cells, intracellular Ca2+ levels are maintained at low resting concentrations (approximately 100 nM) by the activity of the major Ca2+ extrusion system, the plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase (PMCA), which exchanges extracellular protons (H+) for cytosolic Ca2+.
Indeed, sustained elevation of [Ca2+]C in the form of overload, saturating all Ca2+-dependent effectors, prolonged decrease in [Ca2+]ER, causing ER stress response, and high [Ca2+]M, inducing mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), are considered to be pro-death factors.
In cancer the Ca2+-handling toolkit undergoes profound remodelling (figure 1) to favour activation of Ca2+-dependent transcription factors, such as the nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT), c-Myc, c-Jun, c-Fos that promote hypertrophic growth via induction of the expression of the G1 and G1/S phase transition cyclins (D and E) and associated cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK4 and CDK2).
Thus, cancer cells may evade apoptosis through decreasing calcium influx into the cytoplasm. This can be achieved by either downregulation of the expression of plasma membrane Ca2+-permeable ion channels or by reducing the effectiveness of the signalling pathways that activate these channels. Such protective measures would largely diminish the possibility of Ca2+ overload in response to pro-apoptotic stimuli, thereby impairing the effectiveness of mitochondrial and cytoplasmic apoptotic pathways.
Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels (VGCCs): Overexpression of VGCCs has been associated with increased tumor growth and metastasis in various cancers, including breast and prostate cancer.
Store-Operated Calcium Entry (SOCE): SOCE mechanisms, such as STIM1 and ORAI1, are often upregulated in cancer cells, contributing to enhanced cell survival and proliferation.
High intracellular calcium levels are associated with increased cell proliferation and migration, leading to a poorer prognosis. Calcium signaling can also influence hormone receptor status, affecting treatment responses.
Increased Ca²⁺ signaling is associated with advanced disease and metastasis. Patients with higher CaSR expression may have a worse prognosis due to enhanced tumor growth and resistance to apoptosis. -Ca2+ is an important regulator of the electric charge distribution of bio-membranes.


Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
3887- Api,    The flavonoid apigenin protects brain neurovascular coupling against amyloid-β₂₅₋₃₅-induced toxicity in mice
- in-vivo, AD, NA
*Inflam↓, *ROS↓, *Aβ↓, *memory↑, *AChE↓, *Ach↑, *Dose↑, *BDNF↑, *TrkB↑, *p‑CREB↑, *BBB↑, *Ca+2?,

Showing Research Papers: 1 to 1 of 1

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 1

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Total Targets: 0

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

ROS↓, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis

p‑CREB↑, 1,  

Transcription & Epigenetics

Ach↑, 1,  

Migration

Ca+2?, 1,  

Barriers & Transport

BBB↑, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling

Inflam↓, 1,  

Synaptic & Neurotransmission

AChE↓, 1,   BDNF↑, 1,   TrkB↑, 1,  

Protein Aggregation

Aβ↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance

Dose↑, 1,  

Functional Outcomes

memory↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 12

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: Ca+2, Calcium Ion Ca+2
Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers.
Such Conditions may include : 
  -low or high Dose
  -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations
  -different cell line effects
  -synergies with other products 
  -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells
Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:%  IllCat:%  CanType:%  Cells:%  prod#:32  Target#:38  State#:%  Dir#:0
wNotes=0 sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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