Luteolin
Luteolin is a naturally occurring flavone widely distributed in edible plants and medicinal herbs.
Luteolin is a naturally occurring flavone widely distributed in edible plants and medicinal herbs. It is a dietary polyphenol of interest in biomedical research because of its reported antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as broader pharmacological potential. In the recent literature provided, luteolin is also described as a biopharmaceutical classification system (BCS) Class II compound, indicating low aqueous solubility but relatively favorable permeability, a profile that has motivated formulation research to improve its delivery.
Biologically, luteolin has been investigated in relation to oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammatory signaling, and disease-modifying effects in several experimental settings. Recent studies have explored its activity in cancer, neuroprotection, hearing loss, sepsis-associated encephalopathy, and myocardial infarction repair, often in combination with advanced delivery systems such as nanosuspensions, PEGylated nano-vesicular platforms, nanocomposites, and hydrogels. It has also been quantified as a phytochemical marker in plant materials and herbal preparations, reflecting its importance in natural product analysis and quality control.
Where the papers sit
19 papers from the last 6 months study luteolin directly · updated from PubMed 3 Oct 2026
Study type 0 clinical trials · 19 preclinical
Themes one subject · 1 paradigm shift
Those 19 are all about one subject.
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Luteolin Bioactivity and Therapy
Luteolin is being investigated as a pleiotropic phytochemical across cancer, fibrosis, metabolic disease, inflammation, neuroprotection and cardiotoxicity. Recurring mechanisms include PI3K/Akt, AMPK/ACC, NF-κB, CHRM3 and GLUT4 signaling, alongside effects on oxidative stress, lipid synthesis and cell migration. Delivery systems and enriched extracts aim to improve tissue targeting and activity, while analytical studies support compound standardization. The evidence remains broadly preclinical and heterogeneous, without a single dominant therapeutic direction.
Engineered delivery systems can overcome luteolin’s pharmacokinetic and blood–brain barrier limitations
The RVG-functionalized extracellular-vesicle study of LPS-induced neuroinflammation and the PEGylated luteolin-aspasome study of stress-induced cognitive dysfunction both replace the assumption that luteolin’s poor solubility, bioavailability, and brain permeability intrinsically limit its therapeutic use. Instead, distinct nanocarriers enhanced luteolin’s stability and brain delivery, with the extracellular-vesicle system increasing endothelial and microglial uptake and transport across an in vitro blood–brain barrier, while the aspasome system provided high drug entrapment in nanosized vesicles designed for neuroprotection. The resulting direction is to treat delivery engineering, rather than free luteolin exposure alone, as the means of making luteolin therapeutically effective in the CNS (PMIDs 42323031, 42091762).
Papers
The 19 papers from the last 6 months that study luteolin directly, newest first, by theme and by study type. Study types come from PubMed publication types and MeSH headings.
By theme
Luteolin Bioactivity and Therapy (19)
- Proteomic regulation of anti-proliferative and anti-migratory activity by potent phytochemicals from Pistacia integerrima J.L. Steward Ex Brandis via PI3K, AKT1, and KRAS for Lung Cancer. Molecular biology reports · 12 Sept 2026 PMID 42730982
- Deduhonghua-7 powder and its bioactive component luteolin alleviate hepatic fibrosis through CHRM3/NF-κB axis. Experimental cell research · 5 Sept 2026 PMID 42700788
- UV-Spectrophotometric and RP-HPLC Method Development and Validation for Simultaneous Estimation of Gallic Acid, Quercetin, Luteolin, and Apigenin in Saraca asoca Extract. Biomedical chromatography : BMC · 12 Aug 2026 PMID 42584238
- Metal-dependent cell death in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and mitigation by luteolin: Network pharmacology and experimental verification. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie · 30 Jul 2026 PMID 42531631
- Luteolin reduces glucose uptake and malignant phenotypes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells: an integrated bioinformatics and in vitro study. Biochemical and biophysical research communications · 26 Jul 2026 PMID 42503269
- Shen-Gu-Mai-Kang Formula alleviates CKD-associated vascular calcification by suppressing VSMC osteogenic transdifferentiation via the Sfrp2/β-catenin signaling. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology · 24 Jul 2026 PMID 42497522
- Luteolin inhibits hyperglycemia-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and malignant progression in gastric cancer via targeting AKR1B1-mediated glucose metabolism. Clinical & experimental metastasis · 14 Jul 2026 PMID 42446820
- Functionalized extracellular vesicles for enhanced brain targeted delivery of luteolin as a novel anti-neuroinflammatory therapy. International journal of pharmaceutics · 20 Jun 2026 PMID 42323031
- Enzymatic preparation of luteolin-rich olive (Olea europaea L.) leaf extract and its inhibitory effects on colitis. Bioorganic chemistry · 13 Jun 2026 PMID 42287884
- Luteolin from Lonicera japonica Thunb. restores GLUT4-mediated glucose uptake via PI3K/Akt signaling in insulin resistance. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie · 13 Jun 2026 PMID 42287758
- Luteolin-Loaded WPI/Pueraria lobata Amylopectin Composite Gel Improves Adipocyte Thermogenesis and Insulin Sensitivity. ACS applied bio materials · 12 Jun 2026 PMID 42283235
- Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Profiling, Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Antidiabetic Properties of Fagonia cretica L.: Insights From In Vitro and In Silico Approaches. ChemistryOpen · 21 May 2026 PMID 42168772
- Efficacy and mechanism of topical Chinese herbal formulation JieZe-1 on female lower genital tract co-infection with HSV-2 and Candida albicans via upregulating the cGAS/STING/IFN-I pathway. Journal of ethnopharmacology · 11 May 2026 PMID 42114577
- Targeting the AMPK/ACC pathway with luteolin suppresses de novo lipogenesis and limits tumor burden in a MASH-HCC mouse model. Life sciences · 7 May 2026 PMID 42097399
- PEGylated Flavonoid Aspasomes as a Brain-Targeted Nano-Vesicular Platform for Enhanced Neuroprotection in Stress-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction. AAPS PharmSciTech · 6 May 2026 PMID 42091762
- A comprehensive insight into optimized ultrasound-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities from dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) plant extract using response surface methodology. Ultrasonics sonochemistry · 2 May 2026 PMID 42068787
- Luteolin Protects Against Noise-Induced Hearing Loss via Mitigating Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis, With Potential Regulation of the EGR1/SPRY4 Axis. CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2 May 2026 PMID 42067975
- Improvement of aqueous solubility and oral bioavailability of luteolin: a nanosuspension approach. Drug development and industrial pharmacy · 29 Apr 2026 PMID 42050999
- Injectable, Conductive, Multifunctional Hydrogels with Sustained Luteolin Release for Promoting Myocardial Infarction Repair. ACS applied materials & interfaces · 20 Apr 2026 PMID 42008242
By study type
Preclinical: animal, cell and lab studies (19)
- Proteomic regulation of anti-proliferative and anti-migratory activity by potent phytochemicals from Pistacia integerrima J.L. Steward Ex Brandis via PI3K, AKT1, and KRAS for Lung Cancer. Molecular biology reports · 12 Sept 2026 PMID 42730982
- Deduhonghua-7 powder and its bioactive component luteolin alleviate hepatic fibrosis through CHRM3/NF-κB axis. Experimental cell research · 5 Sept 2026 PMID 42700788
- UV-Spectrophotometric and RP-HPLC Method Development and Validation for Simultaneous Estimation of Gallic Acid, Quercetin, Luteolin, and Apigenin in Saraca asoca Extract. Biomedical chromatography : BMC · 12 Aug 2026 PMID 42584238
- Metal-dependent cell death in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and mitigation by luteolin: Network pharmacology and experimental verification. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie · 30 Jul 2026 PMID 42531631
- Luteolin reduces glucose uptake and malignant phenotypes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells: an integrated bioinformatics and in vitro study. Biochemical and biophysical research communications · 26 Jul 2026 PMID 42503269
- Shen-Gu-Mai-Kang Formula alleviates CKD-associated vascular calcification by suppressing VSMC osteogenic transdifferentiation via the Sfrp2/β-catenin signaling. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology · 24 Jul 2026 PMID 42497522
- Luteolin inhibits hyperglycemia-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and malignant progression in gastric cancer via targeting AKR1B1-mediated glucose metabolism. Clinical & experimental metastasis · 14 Jul 2026 PMID 42446820
- Functionalized extracellular vesicles for enhanced brain targeted delivery of luteolin as a novel anti-neuroinflammatory therapy. International journal of pharmaceutics · 20 Jun 2026 PMID 42323031
- Enzymatic preparation of luteolin-rich olive (Olea europaea L.) leaf extract and its inhibitory effects on colitis. Bioorganic chemistry · 13 Jun 2026 PMID 42287884
- Luteolin from Lonicera japonica Thunb. restores GLUT4-mediated glucose uptake via PI3K/Akt signaling in insulin resistance. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie · 13 Jun 2026 PMID 42287758
- Luteolin-Loaded WPI/Pueraria lobata Amylopectin Composite Gel Improves Adipocyte Thermogenesis and Insulin Sensitivity. ACS applied bio materials · 12 Jun 2026 PMID 42283235
- Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Profiling, Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Antidiabetic Properties of Fagonia cretica L.: Insights From In Vitro and In Silico Approaches. ChemistryOpen · 21 May 2026 PMID 42168772
- Efficacy and mechanism of topical Chinese herbal formulation JieZe-1 on female lower genital tract co-infection with HSV-2 and Candida albicans via upregulating the cGAS/STING/IFN-I pathway. Journal of ethnopharmacology · 11 May 2026 PMID 42114577
- Targeting the AMPK/ACC pathway with luteolin suppresses de novo lipogenesis and limits tumor burden in a MASH-HCC mouse model. Life sciences · 7 May 2026 PMID 42097399
- PEGylated Flavonoid Aspasomes as a Brain-Targeted Nano-Vesicular Platform for Enhanced Neuroprotection in Stress-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction. AAPS PharmSciTech · 6 May 2026 PMID 42091762
- A comprehensive insight into optimized ultrasound-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities from dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) plant extract using response surface methodology. Ultrasonics sonochemistry · 2 May 2026 PMID 42068787
- Luteolin Protects Against Noise-Induced Hearing Loss via Mitigating Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis, With Potential Regulation of the EGR1/SPRY4 Axis. CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2 May 2026 PMID 42067975
- Improvement of aqueous solubility and oral bioavailability of luteolin: a nanosuspension approach. Drug development and industrial pharmacy · 29 Apr 2026 PMID 42050999
- Injectable, Conductive, Multifunctional Hydrogels with Sustained Luteolin Release for Promoting Myocardial Infarction Repair. ACS applied materials & interfaces · 20 Apr 2026 PMID 42008242
Written from 19 PubMed abstracts, each one listed by PMID above. Published: 2026-06-15. Last written: 2026-09-14 by GPT. Drafted by language models from published abstracts; not medical advice.