Structure-activity relationship of flavonoids and its application in pulmonary inflammatory diseases / 中草药

ABSTRACT

As polyphenolic compounds in nature, flavonoids are classified into flavones, flavanones, flavonols, flavanonols, isoflavones, isoflavanones, flavan-3-ols, anthocyanidins, and chalcones according to their chemical structures. In general, flavonoids with different structures always have different biological activities. Many studies have shown that flavonoids exhibit a wide range of pharmacological effects, such as anti-oxidant, antimutagenic, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and immunomodulatory activities. The anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of flavonoids make them likely to be candidates for prevention and treatment of pulmonary inflammatory diseases. Thus, this review focuses on the application of flavonoids in pulmonary inflammatory diseases, as well as establishes some structure-activity relationships between this biological potential and chemical profile of these compounds, which can provide the references for the development and utilization of flavonoids.