Arctigenin is a

lignan The lignans are a large group of low molecular weight polyphenols found in plants, particularly seeds, whole grains, and vegetables. The name derives from the Latin word for "wood". Lignans are precursors to phytoestrogens. They may play a role ...

found in certain

plants Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclude ...

of the

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae ...

, including the

greater burdock ''Arctium lappa'', commonly called greater burdock, , edible burdock, lappa, beggar's buttons, thorny burr, or happy major is a Eurasian species of plants in the family Asteraceae, cultivated in gardens for its root used as a vegetable. It has b ...

(''Arctium lappa'') and ''Saussurea heteromalla''. It has shown

antiviral Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Unlike most antibiotics, antiviral drugs do n ...

and anticancer effects

in vitro ''In vitro'' (meaning in glass, or ''in the glass'') studies are performed with microorganisms, cells, or biological molecules outside their normal biological context. Colloquially called " test-tube experiments", these studies in biology a ...

. It is the

aglycone An aglycone (aglycon or genin) is the compound remaining after the glycosyl group on a glycoside is replaced by a hydrogen atom. For example, the aglycone of a cardiac glycoside would be a steroid molecule. Detection A way to identify aglycone ...

arctiin Arctiin is a lignan found in many plants of the family Asteraceae, particularly the greater burdock (''Arctium lappa'') and ''Centaurea imperialis'', and in ''Trachelospermum asiaticum'', ''Saussurea heteromalla'', Retrieved on April 25, 2011. ...

. The use of arctigenin has been shown to be effective in a mouse model of

Japanese encephalitis Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an infection of the brain caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). While most infections result in little or no symptoms, occasional inflammation of the brain occurs. In these cases, symptoms may include he ...

. It has been found to act as an

agonist An agonist is a chemical that activates a receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an antagonist blocks the action of the ag ...

adiponectin receptor 1 Adiponectin receptor 1 (AdipoR1) is a protein which in humans is encoded by the ''ADIPOR1'' gene. It is a member of the progestin and adipoQ receptor (PAQR) family, and is also known as PAQR1. Structure Similar to G protein-coupled receptors (GP ...

(AdipoR1).

References

External links

Arctigenin
entry in the public domain NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms Adiponectin receptor agonists Lignans O-methylated natural phenols Tetrahydrofurans Lactones {{antineoplastic-drug-stub