Bakuchiol: A newly discovered warrior against organ damage.

Abstract

Bakuchiol (BAK), [(1E,3S)-3-ethenyl-3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadien-1-yl]phenol is a prenylated phenolic monoterpene extracted from the fruit of Psoralea corylifolia L., which belongs to the Leguminosae plant family. Previous research has shown that BAK exerts a variety of pharmacological effects, including antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiaging and estrogen-like effects. In addition, recent studies have indicated that BAK exerts protective effects in the heart, liver, skin and other organs. BAK treatment protects the heart against ischemia-reperfusion injury through modulating cardioprotective pathways. BAK also inhibits liver fibrosis via promoting myofibroblast apoptosis and relieves the hepatotoxicity of multiple toxicants by suppressing oxidative stress and inflammatory changes. BAK inhibits the proliferation of various cancer cells, including stomach, breast and skin cancer cells, thereby exerting anticancer effects. Further, BAK effectively slows skin aging by preserving skin collagen. BAK treatment can protect against bone loss and delay osteoporosis by exerting estrogen-like effects. In addition, BAK remarkably reduces blood glucose and triglycerides and might be a potential pharmacological agent that can be used to protect against pancreatic beta-cell damage and diabetes progression. In this review, the pharmacological mechanisms and protective effects of BAK in human diseases are discussed, with a focus on the protective effects of BAK in the heart, liver and other important organs.

• Authors: Zhenlong Xin, Xue Wu, Ting Ji, Baoping Xu, Yuehu Han, Meng Sun, Shuai Jiang, Tian Li, Wei Hu, Chao Deng, Yang Yang
• Journal: Pharmacological research (Pharmacol Res) Vol. 141 Pg. 208-213 (03 2019) ISSN: 1096-1186 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 30610961 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Phenols
• Protective Agents
• bakuchiol

Topics

• Animals
• Diabetes Mellitus (drug therapy)
• Heart (drug effects)
• Humans
• Liver (drug effects)
• Liver Cirrhosis (drug therapy)
• Myocardial Reperfusion Injury (drug therapy)
• Neoplasms (drug therapy)
• Osteoporosis (drug therapy)
• Phenols (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Protective Agents (pharmacology, therapeutic use)