Flavokavain A
Chemical compound
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Flavokavain A is a flavokavain found in the kava plant.[1]
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| Names | |
|---|---|
| Preferred IUPAC name
2′-Hydroxy-4,4′,6′-trimethoxychalcone | |
| Other names
Flavokawain A | |
| Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) |
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| 2224776 | |
| ChEBI | |
| ChEMBL | |
| ChemSpider | |
| EC Number |
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PubChem CID |
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| UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) |
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| Properties | |
| C18H18O5 | |
| Molar mass | 314.337 g·mol−1 |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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A systematic review of studies on kava found evidence that its bioactive compounds, particularly flavokavain A and B, exert antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effects across multiple cancer models, highlighting its potential chemotherapeutic use especially for epithelial cancers, though research on oral squamous cell carcinoma remains scarce.[2] It shows strong anticancer effects—particularly against bladder cancer—by inducing apoptosis through Bax-dependent pathways and inhibiting key anti-apoptotic proteins, with promising results in both cell cultures and animal models.[3]
Kava alone is not hepatotoxic in mice, but its chalcone compounds flavokavains A and B significantly increase acetaminophen-induced liver toxicity, suggesting that herb-drug interactions may explain rare severe liver damage seen with kava use in humans.[4]
