Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) is a lignan that has been found in flaxseed with antioxidant, antiproliferative, antidiabetic, and cardioprotective biological activities.1,2,3,4,5,6 It scavenges 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals (IC50 = 78.9 μg/ml) in a cell-free assay and dose-dependently inhibits the growth of SW480 human colon cancer cells in vitro.2,3 Dietary administration of SDG reduces the number of proliferating tumor cells in an MCF-7 human breast cancer mouse xenograft model in the presence of circulating estrogen.4 It also increases insulin and decreases glucose serum levels in rats with diabetes induced by streptozotocin when administered at a dose of 20 mg/kg.5 SDG (20 mg/kg per day) decreases infarct size in rats with myocardial infarction induced by permanent occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery.6
1.Imran, M., Ahmad, N., Anjum, F.M., et al.Potential protective properties of flax lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucosideNutr. J.14:71(2015) 2.Moree, S.S., and Rajesha, J.Investigation of in vitro and in vivo antioxidant potential of secoisolariciresinol diglucosideMol. Cell Biochem.373(1-2)179-187(2013) 3.Ayella, A., Lim, S., Jiang, Y., et al.Cytostatic inhibition of cancer cell growth by lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucosideNutr. Res.30(11)762-769(2010) 4.Truan, J.S., Chen, J.-M., and Thompson, L.U.Comparative effects of sesame seed lignan and flaxseed lignan in reducing the growth of human breast tumors (MCF-7) at high levels of circulating estrogen in athymic miceNutr. Cancer64(1)65-71(2012) 5.Moree, S.S., Kavishankar, G.B., and Rajesha, J.Antidiabetic effect of secoisolariciresinol diglucoside in streptozotocin-induced diabetic ratsPhytomedicine20(3-4)237-245(2013) 6.Penumathsa, S.V., Koneru, S., Zhan, L., et al.Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside induces neovascularization-mediated cardioprotection against ischemia-reperfusion injury in hypercholesterolemic myocardiumJ. Mol. Cell. Cardiol.44(1)170-179(2008)