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Health effects of phloretin: from chemistry to medicine

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Abstract

Dihydrochalcones are a class of secondary metabolites, whose demand in biological and pharmacological applications is rapidly growing. Phloretin is one of the best known and abundant dihydrochalcone characterized by the presence of 2,6-dihydroxyacetophenone pharmacophore. It is a versatile molecule with anticancer, antiosteoclastogenic, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and estrogenic activities and able to increase the fluidity of biological membranes and penetration of administered drugs. In this review we have performed a critical evaluation of available literature as far as phloretin beneficial effects and activation/block of intracellular signal cascade are of concern. In addition, we supply useful information on its chemical properties, sources and bioavailability.

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Acknowledgements

A. Sureda was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality (CIBEROBN - CB12/03/30038).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Sahar Behzad

  2. Grup de Nutrició Comunitària i Estrès Oxidatiu, CIBEROBN (Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition), University of Balearic Islands, Palma, Illes Balears, Spain

    Antoni Sureda

  3. Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, biologiche, farmaceutiche ed ambientali, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166, Messina, Italy

    Davide Barreca

  4. Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 19395-5487, Tehran, Iran

    Seyed Fazel Nabavi & Seyed Mohammad Nabavi

  5. Dipartimento di Farmacia, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 84084, Fisciano, Italy

    Luca Rastrelli

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  1. Sahar Behzad
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  2. Antoni Sureda
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Correspondence to Seyed Mohammad Nabavi.

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Behzad, S., Sureda, A., Barreca, D. et al. Health effects of phloretin: from chemistry to medicine. Phytochem Rev 16, 527–533 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11101-017-9500-x

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