Chalcones/Chalconoids

Biosynthetic precursors of all flavonoids.

Hops: xanthohumol, 8-prenylnaringenin; antiandrogenic

Licorice: lichochalcones, isoliquiritigenin, butein; anticarcinogenic

The chalcones are the biosynthetic parent compounds of all the other subclasses of flavonoids. They are yellowish pigments that have an 'open ring' as their central structure. A few chalcones have known medicinal activities. In Licorice, several chalcones with antiparasitic, antioxidant, and anticarcinogenic properties have been identified (e.g., butein, isoliquiritigenin, licochalcone A). Hops (Humulus lupulus) contains a number of prenylated chalcones that have potent physiological activities, including xanthohumol which is antioxidant and anticarcinogenic. A close relative of xanthohumol, desmethylxanthohumol, and its derivative 8-prenylnaringenin, are potent phytoestrogens; and 6-DMA-N, another prenylated chalcone derivative found in Hops, is strongly anti-androgenic. (-Ganora)

The role of chalcones in suppression of NF-κB-mediated inflammation and cancer.

Chalcone: A Privileged Structure in Medicinal Chemistry.

Naturally-occurring chalcones and synthetic chalcone analogues have been demonstrated to have many biological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anti-malarial, anti-fungal, and anti-oxidant/anti-cancerous activities. Compared to other chalcones, trans-chalcone exhibits superior inhibitory activity in cancer cell growth as shown via in vitro assays, and exerts anti-cancerous effects via the activation of the p53 tumor suppressor protein. Thus, characterization of the specific mechanisms, by which trans-chalcone activates p53, can aid development of new chemotherapeutic drugs that can be used individually or synergistically with other drugs. In this report, we found that trans-chalcone modulates many p53 target genes, HSP40 being the most induced gene in the RNA-Seq data using trans-chalcone-treated cells. CRM1 is also inhibited by trans-chalcone, resulting in the accumulation of p53 and other tumor suppressor proteins in the nucleus. Similar effects were seen using trans-chalcone derivatives. Overall, trans-chalcone could provide a strong foundation for the development of chalcone-based anti-cancer drugs. Read more

Trans-chalcone activity against Trichophyton rubrum relies on an interplay between signaling pathways related to cell wall integrity and fatty acid metabolism.

A novel chalcone derivative exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects after acute lung injury.

SAR and molecular mechanism studies of monoamine oxidase inhibition by selected chalcone analogs.