Flavonoids and their Conjugates: Potential Molecules for Therapeutics

Abstract: Plants can produce a wide range of bioactive compounds. High concentrations of phytochemicals prevent the accumulation of free radical damage in fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids a group of natural products with different phenolic structures are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, bark, roots, stems, flowers, tea, and wine. These natural products are known for their health benefits, and thus efforts are being made to isolate these flavonoids. Flavonoids are now recognised as important components of many nutraceutical, medical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic products. This is attributed to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, and anti-cancer properties and their ability to alter the activity of important cellular enzymes. Information about how flavonoids work is still not fully understood. However, it has been widely known that plant-derived derivatives have had many biological activities for centuries. Current flavonoid research and development trends include the isolation, identification, characterisation, and activity of flavonoids and their potential health benefits. Bioinformatics information is also used to estimate economic potential and productivity. This article discusses current research, mechanisms of action, functions, and uses of flavonoids, predictions of flavonoids as potential anti-inflammatory agents, and future recommendations. Due to the antioxidant, antiproliferative, anti-tumour, anti-microbial, estrogenic, acetylcholinesterase, and anti-inflammatory activities of flavonoids they are also used as therapeutics in cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and other diseases. It also covers the mechanism of action of flavonoids, which highlights the role of flavonoids as kinase inhibitors and their effect on membrane-bound receptors. Tyrosinase is involved in several human pigmentation-related diseases, among which hyperpigmentation can be treated by using flavonoid-based drugs as tyrosinase inhibitors. This review will provide researchers in the discipline of medicinal chemistry with the opportunity to develop options, improve quality, and use various flavonoid derivatives and their conjugates as therapeutics and in the treatment of various diseases.