Afzelin is a polyphenolic glycoside flavone that has been found in B. pinnatum and has diverse biological activities.1,2,3 It scavenges 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals with an IC50 value of 6.44 μg/ml.1 Afzelin is active against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, S. typhi, C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, and C. neoformans (MICs = 8, 16, 2, 16, 4, and 4 μg/ml, respectively). It inhibits the proliferation of A549, SKOV3, and SK-MEL-2 cells (EC50s = 40.6, 34.5, and 33.9 μg/ml, respectively).2 Afzelin (26 mg/kg per day) reduces the number of eosinophils, other inflammatory cells, and total cells, as well as the levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in a mouse model of allergic asthma.3
1.Tatsimo, S.J.N., Tamokou, J.d.D., Havyarimana, L., et al.Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of kaempferol rhamnoside derivatives from Bryophyllum pinnatumBMC Res. Notes5158(2012) 2.Kim, Y.-K., Kim, Y.S., Choi, S.U., et al.Isolation of flavonol rhamnosides from Loranthus tanakae and cytotoxic effect of them on human tumor cell linesArch. Pharm. Res.27(1)44-47(2004) 3.Chung, M.J., Pandey, R.P., Choi, J.W., et al.Inhibitory effects of kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside on ovalbumin-induced lung inflammation in a mouse model of allergic asthmaInt. Immunopharmacol.25(2)302-310(2015)