The name flavonoid stands for a group of compounds, the members of which have a similar basic frame (flavon, izoflavon, etc.) to which OH (hydroxil) and CH3O (metoxi) groups are connected. These compounds occur partly freely, and partly in the form of their glycosids (attached to carbohydrate components) in the different plants. The sugar parts most frequently connect through the replacement of the hydrogen of the hydroxil group on the 3rd, 5th and 7th carbon atom, by sugar. They can be dissolved in water but they cannot be decomposed through hydrolysis. Higher-grade plants are really rich in aromatic compounds, a large group of which is constituted by polyphenol compounds (molecules containing several aromatic rings). One type of these is constituted by flavonoid phenols, and within that antocianines.
Flavonoids can be found mostly in the skin and seeds of fruits, or, for instance, in the tendril of grapes. In 1936, Rusznyák and Szent-Györgyi proved that they have an essential role in plants and have a vitamin-like effect in the human body. Among their further biological effects is their anti-bacterial, anthelmintic, liver-protection and anti-virus effect, blocking streptococcus mutants, and glycosil transfer enzymes -> preventing tooth decay, blocking lypoxigenese-dependent peroxidisation, bacteria-transferred anti-tumour effect: citostatic effect, the blocking of tumour promotion, the blocking of xantine – oxidase and mono – aminoxidase enzymes, boosting the growth of new skin in the event of burning / damage to the skin. Given their structure, with metal ions they form complexes (Fe, Mg, Cu, Al, etc.), and they have any enzyme-blocking effect; they are also able to form complexes with polysaccharides and proteins. It is important to know about the physiological effect of flavonoids that they work mostly in the digestive and circulatory system. They inactivate the free radicals, and in the phospholipide layer of the bio-membranes they block lipid-peroxidisation, decrease the proportion of oxidised LDL, that is they decrease the danger of arteriosclerosis. They prevent thrombocyte aggregation and decrease the emergence of thrombus. They increase the stability of the vein walls. Their anti-tumour effect has been proven, they help the regeneration of vitamin E, they increase the level of vitamin C and β-carotine, and decrease the serum triglycerid level. They have hepatoprotective and sun-block effects. They play a part in arachidon-acid metabolism, they are anti-inflammatory. They decrease the long-term complications of diabetes mellitus, and they also have anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-allergenic effects.
Their reductive effect can be traced back to the unsaturated nature of the basic structure, as well as the oxidisation-reductive mechanism of the hydroxil groups of different location and number. They can also exercise their anti-oxidant effect indirectly, by binding the metal ions catalysing the oxidation during the formation of the complex.
Their pharmacological effect is in decreasing the permeability of the blood and capillary vessels, therefore it is applied successfully in medicine, in the area of diseases related to capillary control (retina and kidney haemorrhaging, etc.).
The antocianidines, as well as their glycosids, the antocianines, form a group of compounds chemically related to flavonoids. The basic frame of antocianidines is flavilium cation. The antocianines is a group of blue, violet or red dies, which is rather common in the vegetable world, and which produce the colouration in flowers, fruits and sometimes leaves characteristic of the given plant. It has been examined that their colours change according to the chemical reaction. In acid reaction, the flavilium structure is of ionic structure (for instance, in the form of chloride salt).
Antocianines can be found mostly in the 3-4 rows of cells under the skin of fruits. From among the non-flavonoid type polyphenols occurring in plants, trans-rezveratrol (3,5,4’ tri-hydroxil stiblene) has an outstanding importance. According to the results established by the tests, rezveratrol has dual biological effects: as a vegetable protective material, it has a significant role in the natural defense mechanism (vegetable immune materials) against pathogenic pathogens (fungus infections), at the same time they emphasise the favourable pharmacological effect that is manifested in the protective effect against cardiac and circulatory diseases. The positive biological effect is never due to one particular phenol compound. From among the compounds discussed above, one vegetable might contain several (even several hundred) in different qualitative and quantitative variations depending on the type of the fruit, its place of origin and the weather conditions. (This is the reason why the vegetables used are to be selected very carefully and that their quality is to be checked continuously.) These compounds, as well as their metabolits formed in the human body through decomposition, produce the above-mentioned positive effect jointly, by reinforcing each other’s effects. There is a common feature in the different types of cancer: the anomaly of angiogenesis which is not really the root cause of the tumor growth, but it is its indispensable condition. One of the main trends of contemporary cancer research is the inhibition of tumor angiogenesis: in case of insufficient blood supply the tumor is starving, its growth is slowed down or stopped, moreover, in a favourable case the process can be reversed.
Another common feature of the tumors is that the cellular proliferation is continuous, uncontrolled and in a certain sense it can be considered infinite, unless there is some intervention. The folowing study is a good example of this, in which Slovak researchers studied tumor suppressive (angiogenesis suppressive and antiproliferation) effects of Flavin7 products in 2008. Our Flavin7 formulation was the first potent antioxidant complex we found suitable for use in trials. The formulation contained extracts of seven types of red fruits. Its polyphenol content was far below that of Flavigen88, but it was still able to show significant results in the field of health protection.
In the present in vitro experiment HeLa and Jurkat cancer cells were treated with vascular endothelial growth factor (simulating the environment created by tumour cells) and with Flavin7 and at the same time, antineoplastic effects of polyphenols were examined, too, applying various doses. The results reflected/showed excellently the antineoplastic impacts of Flavin7 and the polyphenols, as it is shown in the second graph of the study (Figure 2). It also proves the activity of angiogenesis in a dose-dependent relation of Flavin7. Without dosing/applying Flavin7 (A), 20 μg/ml (B), 10 μg/ml (C) or 4 μg/ml (C). The inhibition of the development of human endothelial cells into capillaries were achieved in case of treatments with 20 μg/ml (B). This is representative of the fact that the new blood vessels needed for tumour growth can be stopped by Flavin7 administration, thus reducing and reversing tumour growth.
Without Flavin7 (A), 20 μg/ml (B), 10 μg/ml (C) vagy 4 μg/ml (C).
In relation to this fact, Mojzis J, states in his academic article „Anticancer Effect of Flavin7” about the mechanism of Flavin 7 that: „In summary, the present report describes for the first time potential anticancer effects of F7. We observed a marked in vitro effect of F7 on the growth, cell cycle and apoptosis of human tumor cell lines. Additional mechanisms such as the effects on growth, migration, tube formation by endothelial cells as well as MMPs inhibition were also observed. We conclude that F7 antiproliferative as well as antiangiogenic actions would effectively suppress the generation of cancer.”
Study: Mojzis J, Sarisský M, Pilátová M, Voharová V, Varinská L, Mojzisová G, Ostro A, Urdzík P, Dankovcik R, Mirossay L. In vitro antiproliferative and antiangiogenic effects of Flavin7. Physiol Res. 2008;57(3):413-420. doi: 10.33549/physiolres.931127. PMID: 18597584.
