Diets high in fiber contain plant lignan species that may be directly responsible for some observed health benefits of these diets.1 Luteolin is a polyphenolic flavone found in many plants including soybeans and perilla leaves.2 Luteolin is one of the most potent flavanoid inhibitors of soybean and reticulocyte 15-lipoxygenases, with an IC50 of 0.6 µM.3 Luteolin has also been found to inhibit the release of TNFα from neutrophils, and to inhibit matrix metalloproteinases.4
1
Morton, L.W., Caccetta, R.A., Puddey, I.B., et al. Chemistry and biological effects of dietary phenolic compounds: Relevance to cardiovascular disease. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 27 152-159 (2000).
2
Ueda, H., Yamazaki, C., and Yamazaki, M. Luteolin as an anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic constituent of Perilla frutescens. Biol Pharm Bull 25(9) 1197-1202 (2002).
3
Sadik, C.D., Sies, H., and Schewe, T. Inhibition of 15-lipoxygenases by flavonoids: Structure-activity relations and mode of action. Biochem Pharmacol 65 773-781 (2003).
4
Sartor, L., Pezzato, E., Dell'Aica, I., et al. Inhibition of matrix-proteases by polyphenols: Chemical insights for anti-inflammatory and anti-invasion drug design. Biochem Pharmacol 64 229-237 (2002).