Research advances in cardiovascular protective effects of flavonoids / 中国药理学通报

ABSTRACT

Flavonoids are a large class of bioactive compounds widely found in food and plants. Studies have found that they have a good preventive and therapeutic effect on cardiovascular diseases. Flavonoids have a wide range of pharmacological effects, including antioxidation, anti-inflammation, vasodila-tion, inhibiting platelet aggregation and regulating blood lipids and so on. The cardiovascular protective mechanism of fla-vonoids involves the enzymes that inhibit the production of oxy-gen derived free radicals, inhibition of lipid peroxidation and in-flammatory factor, down-regulation of epoxy synthase activity and activation of AMPK and nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway. In this review we summarize the so far acquired knowl-edge of the most important mechanisms of flavonoid action, so as to provide the theoretical basis for the research and development of the active monomers in flavonoid and compound preparations.