Biological activity and health promoting effects of psoralidin.

Psoralidin, a prenylated coumestrol isolated from the seed of a traditional Chinese medicine L., has been demonstrated to exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-oxidative, estrogenic, neuroprotective, anti-bacterial, and anti-parasite activities. Due to prenylation, psoralidin exhibits stronger estrogenic activity with no obvious adverse effects and shows a close association with management of osteoporosis and some cancers. However, the hydrophobicity and low bioavailability of psoralidin limit its clinical application, although recent investigation has gained valuable data. This review will discuss the biological activities of psoralidin in health.