Bavachin

Bavachin from Psoralea corylifolia Improves Insulin-Dependent Glucose Uptake through Insulin Signaling and AMPK Activation in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes.[Pubmed: 27070585]

Int J Mol Sci. 2016 Apr 8;17(4):527.

The fruit of Psoralea corylifolia L. (Fabaceae) (PC), known as "Bo-Gol-Zhee" in Korea has been used as traditional medicine. Ethanol and aqueous extracts of PC have an anti-hyperglycemic effect by increasing plasma insulin levels and decreasing blood glucose and total plasma cholesterol levels in type 2 diabetic rats.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
In this study, we purified six compounds from PC and investigated their anti-diabetic effect. Among the purified compounds, Bavachin most potently accumulated lipids during adipocyte differentiation. Intracellular lipid accumulation was measured by Oil Red-O (ORO) cell staining to investigate the effect of compounds on adipogenesis. Consistently, Bavachin activated gene expression of adipogenic transcriptional factors, proliferator-activated receptorγ (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α (C/EBPα). Bavachin also increased adiponectin expression and secretion in adipocytes. Moreover, Bavachin increased insulin-induced glucose uptake by differentiated adipocytes and myoblasts. In differentiated adipocytes, we found that Bavachin enhanced glucose uptake via glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) translocation by activating the Akt and 5'AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway in the presence or absence of insulin.
CONCLUSIONS:
These results suggest that Bavachin from Psoralea corylifolia might have therapeutic potential for type 2 diabetes by activating insulin signaling pathways.

Effect of Brain Injury and Bavachin on 5-HT and VEGF of Rats with Tibial Fracture.[Reference: WebLink]

Journal of Emergency in Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2014,  23(9):1585-8.

To observe the influence of brain injury and Bavachin on 5-HT and VEGF during the healing of rats′ tibial fracture.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
42 healthy male SD rats were selected and randomly divided into 7groups.For normal control group,blood was drawn on the third day.For the other groups,blood was drawn on postoperative day 3,7,14,21,28,and 35.And then centrifuged supernatant was acquired to determine the amount of VEGF and 5-HT by ELISA.(1) 5-TH:The concentration in the brain injury group and facture +brain injury group peaked in the first week,before it gradually declined in the following week.It reached a plateau 3 weeks later.Comparisons between the three fracture + Bavachin groups(all three doses) and the fracture group in one and two weeks have shown no significance(P 0.05).(2)VEGF:The concentrations in all treatment groups were higher than those in the control group.The concentration in fracture + brain injury group was higher than that in fracture group or brain injury group.After a week,the concentration of VEGF was in direct proportion to those of the Bavachin in the 3 facture + Bavachin groups.5 weeks later,they headed to similar concentration.
CONCLUSIONS:
The brain injury can induce increased VEGF content in peripheral blood to promote fracture healing.Bavachin in the blood can stimulate the genetic expression of VEGF in PB,and directly help the fracture healing.Also,the high does and the middle dose have better healing efficacy.At the beginning of brain injury,5-HT increases and is released into the cerebrum capillaries,accelerating the healing of fracture.However later 5-HT goes through the blood cerebrospinal fluid barrier and its concentration in the nervous centralis declines,resulting in the slowdown of fracture healing.Bavachin has no significant influence on the 5-HT concentration during the fracture healing.

Activation of Estrogen Receptor by Bavachin from Psoralea corylifolia.[Pubmed: 24116293]

Biomol Ther (Seoul). 2012 Mar;20(2):183-8.

In this study, we examined the estrogenic activity of Bavachin, a component of Psoralea corylifolia that has been used as a traditional medicine in Asia.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
Bavachin was purified from ethanolic extract of Psoralea corylifolia and characterized its estrogenic activity by ligand binding, reporter gene activation, and endogenous estrogen receptor (ER) target gene regulation. Bavachin showed ER ligand binding activity in competitive displacement of [(3)H] E2 from recombinant ER. The estrogenic activity of Bavachin was characterized in a transient transfection system using ERα or ERβ and estrogen-responsive luciferase plasmids in CV-1 cells with an EC50 of 320 nM and 680 nM, respectively. Bavachin increased the mRNA levels of estrogen-responsive genes such as pS2 and PR, and decreased the protein level of ERα by proteasomal pathway. However, Bavachin failed to activate the androgen receptor in CV-1 cells transiently transfected with the corresponding receptor and hormone responsive reporter plasmid.
CONCLUSIONS:
These data indicate that Bavachin acts as a weak phytoestrogen by binding and activating the ER.

Phytoestrogen bavachin mediates anti-inflammation targeting Ikappa B kinase-I kappaB alpha-NF-kappaB signaling pathway in chondrocytes in vitro.[Pubmed: 20361957]

Eur J Pharmacol. 2010 Jun 25;636(1-3):181-8.

The pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) plays critical roles in pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. Although estrogen is protective for cartilage in osteoarthritis patients, it also potentially increases the risk of stroke and cancer. Phytoestrogens acting as natural estrogen receptor modulators may serve as alternatives.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
This study aimed to identify medicinal phytoestrogens that preserve anti-inflammatory property and may function as potential chondro-protective compounds. Both human chondrocytes and chondrocytic cell line CHON-002 were used for this study. Protein concentrations or expressions were measured by ELISA or Western blot, respectively. The DNA-binding activity and transcriptional activity of transcription factors were evaluated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and dual-luciferase reporter assay, respectively. Cell migration was analyzed by chemotaxis assays. We found that among screened phytoestrogens, Bavachin could potently decrease IL-1 beta-induced nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) but not activator protein-1 (AP-1) DNA-binding activity. Bavachin also inhibited I kappaB alpha degradation, increased nuclear translocation of p65 and p50 as well as decreased I kappaB alpha kinase (IKK) activity. Furthermore, Bavachin inhibited IL-1 beta-induced chemokine production that resulted in reduced migration of THP-1 monocytic cells.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our results suggest that through decreasing IL-1 beta-induced activation of IKK-I kappaB alpha-NF-kappaB signaling pathway, Bavachin potentially protects cartilage from inflammation-mediated damage in joints of osteoarthritis patients.

Inhibitory effects of bakuchiol, bavachin, and isobavachalcone isolated from Piper longum on melanin production in B16 mouse melanoma cells.[Pubmed: 20622433]

Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2010;74(7):1504-6.

METHODS AND RESULTS:
An EtOH extract of fruits of Piper longum was found to exhibit a potent inhibitory effect against alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH)-induced melanin production in B16 mouse melanoma cells. Bioassay-directed fractionation led to the isolation of prenylated phenolic compounds bakuchiol, Bavachin, and isobavachalcone.
CONCLUSIONS:
These compounds and the crude extract of the fruits of P. longum may have suppressive effects against pigmentation by melanin in the skin.

Arch Pharm Res. 2008 Nov;31(11):1419-23.

Bavachin and isobavachalcone, acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase inhibitors from Psoralea corylifolia.[Pubmed: 19023538]

Acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) catalyzes cholesterol esterification and plays important roles in intestinal absorption of cholesterol, hepatic production of lipoproteins and accumulation of cholesteryl ester within macrophages and smooth muscle cells.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
Ethanol extract of Psoralea corylifolia showed a significant inhibition of ACAT enzyme. Via bioactivity-guided fractionation of the ethanol extract of Psoralea corylifolia, two prenylated flavonoids were isolated. Their structures were determined as Bavachin (1) and isobavachalcone (2) by spectroscopic analysis ((1)H-, (13)C-NMR, 2DNMR, and ESI-MS). The IC(50) values were 86.0 (1) and 48.0 (2) microM in the ACAT assay system using rat liver microsome. Compound 2 also decreased cholesteryl ester formations in HepG2 cells. In addition, this compound showed a noncompetitive type of inhibition of ACAT.