Database Query Results : Apigenin (mainly Parsley), , EMT

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↑, 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 : EMT↓, 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
EMT, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
Biological process in which epithelial cells lose their cell polarity and cell-cell adhesion properties and gain mesenchymal traits, such as increased motility and invasiveness. This process is pivotal during embryogenesis and wound healing. Hh signaling pathway is able to regulate the EMT. Snail, E-cadherin and N-cadherin, key components of EMT; EMT-related factors, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin; The hallmark of EMT is the upregulation of N-cadherin followed by the downregulation of E-cadherin.
EMT is regulated by various signaling pathways, including TGF-β, Wnt, Notch, and Hedgehog pathways. Transcription factors such as Snail, Slug, Twist, and ZEB play critical roles in repressing epithelial markers (like E-cadherin) and promoting mesenchymal markers (like N-cadherin and vimentin).
EMT is associated with increased tumor aggressiveness, enhanced migratory and invasive capabilities, and resistance to apoptosis.
Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
1548- Api,    A comprehensive view on the apigenin impact on colorectal cancer: Focusing on cellular and molecular mechanisms
- Review, Colon, NA
*BioAv↓, Apigenin is not easily absorbed orally because of its low water solubility, which is only 2.16 g/mL
*Half-Life∅, Apigenin is slowly absorbed and eliminated from the body, as evidenced by its half‐life of 91.8 h in the blood
selectivity↑, selective anticancer effects and effective cell cytotoxic activity while exhibiting negligible toxicity to ordinary cells
*toxicity↓, intentional consumption in higher doses, as the toxicity hazard is low
Wnt/(β-catenin)↓, inhibiting the Wnt/β‐catenin
P53↑,
P21↑,
PI3K↓,
Akt↓,
mTOR↓,
TumCCA↑, G2/M
TumCI↓,
TumCMig↓,
STAT3↓, apigenin can activate p53, which improves catalase and inhibits STAT3,
PKM2↓,
EMT↓, reversing increases in epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)
cl‑PARP↑, apigenin increases the cleavage of poly‐(ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP) and rapidly enhances caspase‐3 activity,
Casp3↑,
Bax:Bcl2↑,
VEGF↓, apigenin suppresses VEGF transcription
Hif1a↓, decrease in hypoxia‐inducible factor 1‐alpha (HIF‐1α
Dose∅, effectiveness of apigenin (200 and 300 mg/kg) in treating CC was evaluated by establishing xenografts on Balb/c nude mice.
GLUT1↓, Apigenin has been found to inhibit GLUT1 activity and glucose uptake in human pancreatic cancer cells
GlucoseCon↓,

1547- Api,    Apigenin: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential against Cancer Spreading
- Review, NA, NA
angioG↓,
EMT↓,
CSCs↓,
TumCCA↑,
Dose∅, Dried parsley 45,035ug/g: Dried chamomille flower 3000–5000ug/g: Parsley 2154.6ug/g:
ROS↑, activity of Apigenin has been linked to the induction of oxidative stress in cancer cells
MMP↓, triggering intracellular ROS accumulation and loss of mitochondrial integrity
Catalase↓, catalase and glutathione (GSH), molecules involved in alleviating oxidative stress, were downregulated after Apigenin
GSH↓,
PI3K↓, suppression of the PI3K/Akt and NF-κB
Akt↓,
NF-kB↓,
OCT4↓, glycosylated form of Apigenin (i.e., Vitexin) was able to suppress stemness features of human endometrial cancer, as documented by the downregulation of Oct4 and Nanog
Nanog↓,
SIRT3↓, inhibition of sirtuin-3 (SIRT3) and sirtuin-6 (SIRT6) protein levels
SIRT6↓,
eff↑, ability of Apigenin to interfere with CSC features is often enhanced by the co-administration of other flavonoids, such as chrysin
eff↑, Apigenin combined with a chemotherapy agent, temozolomide (TMZ), was used on glioblastoma cells and showed better performance in cell arrest at the G2 phase compared with Apigenin or TMZ alone,
Cyt‑c↑, release of cytochrome c (Cyt c)
Bax:Bcl2↑, Apigenin has been shown to induce the apoptosis death pathway by increasing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio
p‑GSK‐3β↓, Apigenin has been shown to prevent activation of phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β)
FOXO3↑, Apigenin administration increased the expression of forkhead box O3 (FOXO3)
p‑STAT3↓, Apigenin can induce apoptosis via inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation
MMP2↓, downregulation of the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9
MMP9↓,
COX2↓, downregulation of PI3K/Akt in leukemia HL60 cells [156,157] and of COX2, iNOS, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in breast cancer cells
MMPs↓, triggering intracellular ROS accumulation and loss of mitochondrial integrity, as proved by low MMP in Apigenin-treated cells
NRF2↓, suppressed the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)
HDAC↓, inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs) is the mechanism through which Apigenin induces apoptosis in prostate cancer cells
Telomerase↓, Apigenin has been shown to downregulate telomerase activity
eff↑, Indeed, co-administration with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) increased the efficacy of Apigenin in human colon cancer through p53 upregulation and ROS accumulation
eff↑, Apigenin synergistically enhances the cytotoxic effects of Sorafenib
eff↑, pretreatment of pancreatic BxPC-3 cells for 24 h with a low concentration of Apigenin and gemcitabine caused the inhibition of the GSK-3β/NF-κB signaling pathway, leading to the induction of apoptosis
eff↑, In NSCLC cells, compared to monotherapy, co-treatment with Apigenin and naringenin increased the apoptotic rate through ROS accumulation, Bax/Bcl-2 increase, caspase-3 activation, and mitochondrial dysfunction
eff↑, Several studies have shown that Apigenin-induced autophagy may play a pro-survival role in cancer therapy; in fact, inhibition of autophagy has been shown to exacerbate the toxicity of Apigenin
XIAP↓,
survivin↓,
CK2↓,
HSP90↓,
Hif1a↓,
FAK↓,
EMT↓,

210- Api,    Apigenin inhibits migration and invasion via modulation of epithelial mesenchymal transition in prostate cancer
- in-vitro, Pca, DU145
EMT↓,
E-cadherin↑,
Snail↓,
Vim↓,

244- Api,    Inhibition of the STAT3 signaling pathway contributes to apigenin-mediated anti-metastatic effect in melanoma
- in-vivo, Melanoma, B16-F10 - in-vivo, Melanoma, A375 - in-vivo, Melanoma, G361
STAT3↓,
MMP2↓,
MMP9↓,
VEGF↓,
Twist↓, Twist1
E-cadherin↑,
N-cadherin↓,
EMT↓,

1095- Api,    Apigenin inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition of human colon cancer cells through NF-κB/Snail signaling pathway
- Analysis, Colon, NA
Snail↓, Snail inhibitor apigenin
EMT↓,
NF-kB↓,


* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 5

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

Catalase↓, 1,   GSH↓, 1,   NRF2↓, 1,   ROS↑, 1,   SIRT3↓, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics ⓘ

MMP↓, 1,   XIAP↓, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

GlucoseCon↓, 1,   PKM2↓, 1,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Akt↓, 2,   Bax:Bcl2↑, 2,   Casp3↑, 1,   CK2↓, 1,   Cyt‑c↑, 1,   survivin↓, 1,   Telomerase↓, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress ⓘ

HSP90↓, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

P53↑, 1,   cl‑PARP↑, 1,   SIRT6↓, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence ⓘ

P21↑, 1,   TumCCA↑, 2,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

CSCs↓, 1,   EMT↓, 6,   FOXO3↑, 1,   p‑GSK‐3β↓, 1,   HDAC↓, 1,   mTOR↓, 1,   Nanog↓, 1,   OCT4↓, 1,   PI3K↓, 2,   STAT3↓, 2,   p‑STAT3↓, 1,   Wnt/(β-catenin)↓, 1,  

Migration ⓘ

E-cadherin↑, 2,   FAK↓, 1,   MMP2↓, 2,   MMP9↓, 2,   MMPs↓, 1,   N-cadherin↓, 1,   Snail↓, 2,   TumCI↓, 1,   TumCMig↓, 1,   Twist↓, 1,   Vim↓, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

angioG↓, 1,   Hif1a↓, 2,   VEGF↓, 2,  

Barriers & Transport ⓘ

GLUT1↓, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

COX2↓, 1,   NF-kB↓, 2,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

Dose∅, 2,   eff↑, 7,   selectivity↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 54

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↓, 1,   Half-Life∅, 1,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

toxicity↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 3

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: EMT, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
5 Apigenin (mainly Parsley)
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#:96  State#:%  Dir#:%
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