Luteolin a Flavonoid found in celery, parsley, broccoli, onion leaves, carrots, peppers, cabbages, apple skins, and chrysanthemum flowers.
-MDR1 expression, MMP-9, IGF-1 and Epithelial to mesenchymal transition.
-Note half-life 2–3 hours
BioAv low, but could be improved with Res, or blend of castor oil, kolliphor and polyethylene glycol
Pathways:
- induce
ROS production in cancer cell but a few reports of reduction. Always seems to reduce ROS in normal cells.
- ROS↑ related:
MMP↓(ΔΨm),
ER Stress↑,
UPR↑,
GRP78↑,
Ca+2↑,
Cyt‑c↑,
Caspases↑,
DNA damage↑,
cl-PARP↑,
HSP↓
- Lowers AntiOxidant defense in Cancer Cells:
NRF2↓,
SOD↓,
GSH↓
Catalase↓
HO1↓
GPx↓
- Raises
AntiOxidant
defense in Normal Cells:
ROS↓,
NRF2↑,
SOD↑,
GSH↑,
Catalase↑,
- lowers
Inflammation :
NF-kB↓">NF-kB↓,
COX2↓,
p38↓, Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines :
IL-1β↓,
TNF-α↓,
IL-6↓,
- inhibit Growth/Metastases :
TumMeta↓,
TumCG↓,
EMT↓,
MMP2↓,
MMP9↓,
TIMP2,
IGF-1↓,
VEGF↓,
FAK↓,
RhoA↓,
NF-κB↓,
CXCR4↓,
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↓,
FAK↓,
ERK↓,
EMT↓,
TOP1↓,
TET1↓,
- inhibits
glycolysis
and
ATP depletion :
HIF-1α↓,
PKM2↓,
cMyc↓,
LDHA↓,
HK2↓,
GRP78↑,
- inhibits
angiogenesis↓ :
VEGF↓,
HIF-1α↓,
Notch↓,
PDGF↓,
EGFR↓,
Integrins↓,
- Others: PI3K↓,
AKT↓,
STAT↓,
Wnt↓,
β-catenin↓,
AMPK,
ERK↓,
JNK,
TrxR**,
- Shown to modulate the nuclear translocation of
SREBP-2 (related to cholesterol).
- Synergies:
chemo-sensitization,
chemoProtective,
RadioSensitizer,
Others(review target notes),
Neuroprotective,
Renoprotection,
Hepatoprotective,
CardioProtective,
- Selectivity:
Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells
Luteolin — Cancer vs Normal Cell Effects
| Rank |
Pathway / Axis |
Cancer Cells |
Normal Cells |
Label |
Primary Interpretation |
Notes |
| 1 |
PI3K → AKT → mTOR axis |
↓ AKT / ↓ mTOR signaling |
↔ adaptive suppression |
Driver |
Loss of survival and growth signaling |
Luteolin consistently suppresses PI3K/AKT signaling, explaining growth inhibition and apoptosis sensitization |
| 2 |
NF-κB signaling |
↓ NF-κB activation |
↓ inflammatory NF-κB tone |
Driver |
Suppression of inflammatory survival transcription |
NF-κB inhibition is a core, repeatedly observed luteolin effect |
| 3 |
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) |
↑ ROS (context- & dose-dependent) |
↓ ROS / buffered |
Conditional Driver |
Biphasic redox modulation |
Luteolin can act as a pro-oxidant in cancer cells while remaining antioxidant in normal cells |
| 4 |
Mitochondrial integrity / intrinsic apoptosis |
↓ ΔΨm; ↑ caspase activation |
↔ preserved |
Secondary |
Execution of intrinsic apoptosis |
Mitochondrial apoptosis follows signaling and redox stress |
| 5 |
STAT3 signaling |
↓ STAT3 activation |
↔ minimal |
Secondary |
Loss of proliferative and stemness signaling |
STAT3 suppression contributes to reduced invasion and CSC traits |
| 6 |
Cell cycle regulation |
↑ G1 or G2/M arrest |
↔ spared |
Phenotypic |
Cytostatic growth control |
Cell-cycle arrest reflects upstream pathway inhibition |
| 7 |
Migration / invasion (EMT, MMP axis) |
↓ migration & invasion |
↔ |
Phenotypic |
Anti-metastatic phenotype |
Reduced EMT and protease activity limit invasiveness |
|