Pharmacological properties of flavonoids including flavonolignans – Integration of petrocrops with drug development from plants

Abstract

Flavonoids possess antioxidant, radical scavenger, antileukemic and vasodilator activity. These may be useful for improving blood circulation in brain and in Alzheimer disease. Flavonoids also show anti-cancer, anti-ageing and antibacterial properties. Flavonolignans are a class of compounds where the properties of flavones and lignans may synergise. The review presents the pharmacological activities of some of the flavonolignans including author’s research work in this area. There may be a wide scope of integrating the pharmaceutical industries especially those based on natural products, with the fuel and energy industries dealing with the production of petroleum hydrocarbons, biodiesel, lubricating oils, alcohols, glucose and glucose based value added chemicals and materials, xylose and xylose based value added chemicals and materials, lignin based aromatic and heterocyclic chemicals etc.