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Review
. 2023 Mar 28;24(7):6324.
doi: 10.3390/ijms24076324.

Flavonoids as Promising Natural Compounds in the Prevention and Treatment of Selected Skin Diseases

Beáta Čižmárová  1 , Beáta Hubková  1 , Vladimíra Tomečková  1 , Anna Birková  1
Affiliations
Review

Flavonoids as Promising Natural Compounds in the Prevention and Treatment of Selected Skin Diseases

Beáta Čižmárová et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Phytochemicals represent a large and diverse group of naturally occurring compounds, bioactive nutrients, or phytonutrients produced by plants, widely found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains products, legumes, beans, herbs, seeds, nuts, tea, and dark chocolate. They are classified according to their chemical structures and functional properties. Flavonoids belong to the phenolic class of phytochemicals with potential solid pharmacological effects as modulators of multiple signal transduction pathways. Their beneficial effect on the human body is associated with their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, and anticarcinogenic properties. Flavonoids are also widely used in various nutritional, pharmaceutical, medical, and cosmetic applications. In our review, we discuss the positive effect of flavonoids on chronic skin diseases such as vitiligo, psoriasis, acne, and atopic dermatitis.

Keywords: chronic diseases; flavonoids; phytochemicals; skin.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Classification of dietary phytochemicals with emphasis on the flavonoid group (Adapted from [7]).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Chemical structure of the basic flavonoid skeleton and derived groups of flavonoids.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Possible mechanisms of action of flavonoids in melanoma cells, squamous cell carcinoma, and UV-protection of keratinocytes. Anticancer effects are primarily based on activating proapoptotic and antiproliferative signaling cascades. The photoprotective mechanism consists in reducing UV-induced reactive oxygen species production and the subsequent increase in antioxidative capacity, anti-inflammatory effect and inhibition of the deregulation of essential cellular functions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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