Department Pharmacology and Toxicology of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
Maturitas. 2010 Jun;66(2):163-71. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2010.01.010. Epub 2010 Feb 23.
Plant derived products are consumed by a large percentage of the population to prevent, delay and ameliorate disease burden; however, relatively little is known about the efficacy, safety and underlying mechanisms of these traditional health products, especially when taken in concert with pharmaceutical agents. The flavonoids are a group of plant metabolites that are common in the diet and appear to provide some health benefits. While flavonoids are primarily derived from soy, many are found in fruits, nuts and more exotic sources, e.g., kudzu. Perhaps the strongest evidence for the benefits of flavonoids in diseases of aging relates to their effect on components of the metabolic syndrome. Flavonoids from soy, grape seed, kudzu and other sources all lower arterial pressure in hypertensive animal models and in a limited number of tests in humans. They also decrease the plasma concentration of lipids and buffer plasma glucose. The underlying mechanisms appear to include antioxidant actions, central nervous system effects, gut transport alterations, fatty acid sequestration and processing, PPAR activation and increases in insulin sensitivity. In animal models of disease, dietary flavonoids also demonstrate a protective effect against cognitive decline, cancer and metabolic disease. However, research also indicates that the flavonoids can be detrimental in some settings and, therefore, are not universally safe. Thus, as the population ages, it is important to determine the impact of these agents on prevention/attenuation of disease, including optimal exposure (intake, timing/duration) and potential contraindications.
植物衍生产品被很大一部分人群消费，以预防、延缓和减轻疾病负担；然而，人们对这些传统保健品的功效、安全性和潜在机制相对知之甚少，尤其是当它们与药物一起使用时。类黄酮是一组植物代谢物，在饮食中很常见，似乎提供了一些健康益处。虽然类黄酮主要来源于大豆，但许多存在于水果、坚果和更奇特的来源中，例如葛根。类黄酮在与衰老相关的疾病中有益的最强证据可能与其对代谢综合征成分的影响有关。来自大豆、葡萄籽、葛根和其他来源的类黄酮都能降低高血压动物模型和少数人类试验中的动脉血压。它们还降低了血脂和缓冲血糖的血浆浓度。潜在的机制似乎包括抗氧化作用、中枢神经系统作用、肠道转运改变、脂肪酸隔离和处理、PPAR 激活以及胰岛素敏感性增加。在疾病的动物模型中，饮食类黄酮也表现出对认知能力下降、癌症和代谢性疾病的保护作用。然而，研究也表明，在某些情况下，类黄酮可能有害，因此并非普遍安全。因此，随着人口老龄化，重要的是要确定这些药物对预防/减轻疾病的影响，包括最佳暴露（摄入、时间/持续时间）和潜在的禁忌症。
