Biochanin A impedes STAT3 activation by upregulating p38δ MAPK phosphorylation in IL-6-stimulated macrophages

Function and inhibition of P38 MAP kinase signaling: Targeting multiple inflammation diseases

Inflammation is a natural host defense mechanism that protects the body from pathogenic microorganisms. A growing body of research suggests that inflammation is a key factor in triggering other diseases (lung injury, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.). However, there is no consensus on the complex mechanism of inflammatory response, which may include enzyme activation, mediator release, and tissue repair. In recent years, p38 MAPK, a member of the MAPKs family, has attracted much attention as a central target for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. However, many p38 MAPK inhibitors attempting to obtain marketing approval have failed at the clinical trial stage due to selectivity and/or toxicity issues. In this paper, we discuss the mechanism of p38 MAPK in regulating inflammatory response and its key role in major inflammatory diseases and summarize the synthetic or natural products targeting p38 MAPK to improve the inflammatory response in the last five years, which will provide ideas for the development of novel clinical anti-inflammatory drugs based on p38 MAPK inhibitors.

Biochanin A from Chinese Medicine: An Isoflavone with Diverse Pharmacological Properties

Biochanin A (BCA) is a dietary isoflavone, isolated from the leaves and stems of Trifolium pratense L and many other herbs of Chinese medicine. Recent findings indicated BCA as a promising drug candidate with diverse bioactive effects. On the purpose of evaluating the possibility of BCA in clinical application, this review is trying to provide a comprehensive summary of the pharmacological actions of BCA. The publications collected from PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Wiley databases were summarized for the last 10 years. Then, the potential therapeutic use of BCA on the treatment of various diseases was discussed according to its pharmacological properties, namely, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-diabetic, and anti-obesity effects as well as neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, and osteoprotective effects. BCA might mainly regulate the MAPK, PI3K, NRF2, and NF-kB pathways, respectively, to exert its bioactive effects. However, the limited definitive targets, poor biological availability, and insufficient safety evaluation might block the clinical application of BCA. This review may provide new insights for the development of BCA in the application of related diseases.