Apigenin (mainly Parsley) / Metformin Cancer Research Results

Api, Apigenin (mainly Parsley): Click to Expand ⟱
Features:

Apigenin — a plant-derived flavone (4′,5,7-trihydroxyflavone) abundant in parsley/celery/chamomile and other dietary sources, often abbreviated APG (or “Api” in some indexes). It is a small-molecule polyphenol classified as a dietary phytochemical/nutraceutical candidate with broad pleiotropic signaling effects in oncology models (cell-cycle control, apoptosis, inflammatory signaling, metabolic stress, and invasion/angiogenesis programs), but with important translation constraints driven by low aqueous solubility and extensive phase-II conjugation.
-derivative of luteolin

Primary mechanisms (ranked):

  1. Pleiotropic pro-apoptotic / cell-cycle checkpoint engagement (mitochondrial apoptosis, caspases; CDK/cyclin suppression; p53 context-dependent)
  2. PI3K–AKT–MAPK signaling suppression with downstream anti-proliferative and anti-migration effects
  3. Inflammation axis suppression (NF-κB; COX-2 and pro-inflammatory cytokine programs)
  4. Redox stress reprogramming (often ROS↑ in cancer models; antioxidant/NRF2 effects are context-dependent and can diverge between cancer vs normal cells)
  5. HIF-1α–glycolysis downshift with ATP stress (model-dependent)
  6. Anti-invasive / anti-EMT programs (FAK/integrins; MMP/uPA; EMT markers)
  7. Epigenetic modulation (HDAC/DNMT/EZH2 axes; context-dependent)
  8. Anti-angiogenic signaling (VEGF/related programs; model-dependent)
  9. Stemness pathway pressure (Hh/GLI, CK2; model-dependent)
  10. Chemo-/death-ligand sensitization (e.g., TRAIL sensitization reported in preclinical systems)

Bioavailability / PK relevance: Oral apigenin exposure is commonly limited by poor water solubility and extensive first-pass metabolism (glucuronidation/sulfation). Human data indicate circulating apigenin is largely present as conjugated metabolites, and dietary intake can yield only low (typically sub-µM) systemic levels; lipidic/self-emulsifying formulations can increase exposure in vivo (formulation-dependent). Reported half-life/kinetic parameters vary widely across studies and matrices.

In-vitro vs systemic exposure relevance: Many anti-cancer in vitro studies use ~10–50+ µM apigenin, which can exceed typical achievable free aglycone systemic levels after oral intake; some effects may therefore be high-concentration or formulation-enabled rather than diet-achievable. Tissue-local exposure (GI lumen, local mucosa) may be higher than plasma, and conjugate biology may contribute (context-dependent).

Clinical evidence status: Predominantly preclinical oncology evidence (cell and animal models) with limited, non-definitive human cancer interventional data; at least one pilot clinical study concept exists/has been registered (status-dependent). Strongest human evidence base is for non-cancer indications and general bioactivity rather than oncology efficacy.

Apigenin present in parsley, celery, chamomile, oranges and beverages such as tea, beer and wine.
"It exhibits cell growth arrest and apoptosis in different types of tumors such as breast, lung, liver, skin, blood, colon, prostate, pancreatic, cervical, oral, and stomach, by modulating several signaling pathways."
-Note half-life reports vary 2.5-90hrs?.
-low solubility of apigenin in water : BioAv (improves when mixed with oil/dietary fat or lipid based formulations)
-best oil might be MCT oils (medium-chain fatty acids)


Pathways:
- Often considered an antioxidant, in cancer cells it can paradoxically induce ROS production
(one report that goes against most others, by lowering ROS in cancer cells but still effective)
- ROS↑ related: MMP↓(ΔΨm), ER Stress↑, Ca+2↑, Cyt‑c↑, Caspases↑, DNA damage↑, UPR↑, cl-PARP↑, HSP↓
- Lowers AntiOxidant defense in Cancer Cells: NRF2↓, GSH↓ (Conflicting evidence about Nrf2)
        - Combined with Metformin (reduces Nrf2) amplifies ROS production in cancer cells while sparing normal cells.
- Raises AntiOxidant defense in Normal Cells: NRF2↑, SOD↑, GSH↑, Catalase↑,
- lowers Inflammation : NF-kB↓, COX2↓, p38↓, Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines : IL-1β↓, TNF-α↓, IL-6↓, IL-8↓
- inhibit Growth/Metastases : , MMPs↓, MMP2↓, MMP9↓, IGF-1↓, uPA↓, VEGF↓, ERK↓
- reactivate genes thereby inhibiting cancer cell growth : HDAC↓, DNMT1↓, DNMT3A↓, EZH2↓, P53↑, HSP↓
- cause Cell cycle arrest : TumCCA↑, cyclin D1↓, cyclin E↓, CDK2↓, CDK4↓, CDK6↓,
- inhibits Migration/Invasion : TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, FAK↓, ERK↓,
- inhibits glycolysis and ATP depletion : HIF-1α↓, PKM2↓, cMyc↓, PDK1↓, GLUT1↓, LDHA↓, HK2↓, Glucose↓, GlucoseCon↓
- inhibits angiogenesis↓ : VEGF↓, HIF-1α↓, PDGF↓, EGFR↓, Integrins↓,
- inhibits Cancer Stem Cells : CSC↓, CK2↓, Hh↓, GLi↓, GLi1↓,
- Others: PI3K↓, AKT↓, JAK↓, 1, 2, 3, STAT↓, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Wnt↓, β-catenin↓, AMPK↓,, α↓,, ERK↓, 5↓, JNK↓,
- Shown to modulate the nuclear translocation of SREBP-2 (related to cholesterol).
- Synergies: chemo-sensitization, chemoProtective, RadioSensitizer, RadioProtective, Others(review target notes)
        -Ex: other flavonoids(chrysin, Luteolin, querectin) curcumin, metformin, sulforaphane, ASA
Neuroprotective, Renoprotection, Hepatoprotective, CardioProtective,
- Selectivity: Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells

Apigenin exhibits biological effects (anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, etc.) typically at concentrations roughly in the range of 1–50 µM.

Parsley microgreens can contain up to 2-3 times more apigenin than mature parsley.
Apigenin is typically measured in the range of 1-10 μM for biological activity. Assuming a molecular weight of 270 g/mol for apigenin, we can estimate the following μM concentrations:
10uM*5L(blood)*270g/mol=13.5mg apigenin (assumes 100% bioavailability)
then an estimated 10-20 mg of apigenin per 100 g of fresh weight parlsey
2.2mg/g of apigenin fresh parsley
45mg/g of apigenin in dried parsley (wikipedia)
so 100g of parsley might acheive 10uM blood serum level (100% bioavailability)
BUT bioavailability is only 1-5%
(Supplements available in 75mg liposomal)( Apigenin Pro Liposomal, 200 mg from mcsformulas.com)

A study had 2g/kg bw (meaning 160g for 80kg person) delivered a maximum 0.13uM of plasma concentration @ 7.2hrs.
Assuming parsley is 90-95% water, then that would be ~16g of dried parsley
Conclusion: to reach 10uM would seem very difficult by oral ingestion of parsley.
Other quotes:
      “4g of dried parsley will be enough for 50kg adult”
      5mg/kg BW yields 16uM, so 80Kg person means 400mg (if dried parsley is 130mg/g, then would need 3g/d)
In many cancer cell lines, concentrations in the range of approximately 20–40 µM have been reported to shift apigenin’s activity from mild antioxidant effects (or negligible ROS changes) toward a clear pro-oxidant effect with measurable ROS increases.

Low doses: At lower concentrations, apigenin is more likely to exhibit its antioxidant properties, scavenging ROS and protecting cells from oxidative stress.
In normal cells with robust antioxidant systems, apigenin’s antioxidant effects might prevail, whereas cancer cells—often characterized by an already high level of basal ROS—can be pushed over the oxidative threshold by increased ROS production induced by apigenin.
In environments with lower free copper levels, this pro-oxidant activity is less pronounced, and apigenin may tilt the balance toward its antioxidant function.

Apigenin — cancer-relevant mechanistic pathway matrix

Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells TSF Primary Effect Notes / Interpretation
1 Mitochondrial apoptosis program ΔΨm ↓, Cyt-c ↑, Caspase cascade ↑, apoptosis ↑ ↔ to protective (model-dependent) R Pro-apoptotic stress commitment Frequently reported core phenotype across tumor models; may be downstream of ROS and kinase-network suppression.
2 Cell-cycle control Cyclin D1/E ↓, CDK2/4/6 ↓, arrest ↑ ↔ G Anti-proliferative checkpointing Often couples to p53/p21 context and growth-factor signaling downshift.
3 PI3K / AKT / MAPK PI3K ↓, AKT ↓, ERK ↓ (model-dependent) ↔ R Growth and survival signaling suppression High industry relevance; provides a convergent explanation for anti-growth and anti-migration phenotypes.
4 NF-κB / COX-2 inflammatory axis NF-κB ↓, COX-2 ↓, inflammatory cytokine programs ↓ Inflammatory tone ↓ G Anti-inflammatory microenvironment pressure Relevant to tumor-promoting inflammation and stromal signaling (context-dependent).
5 ROS modulation ROS ↑ (often), DNA damage ↑, ER stress ↑ (model-dependent) ROS injury ↓ / antioxidant support ↑ (context-dependent) P Redox stress bifurcation (tumor vs normal) Frequently described “paradox”: pro-oxidant stress in tumors while normal cells may show antioxidant protection; not universal.
6 NRF2 / antioxidant defense NRF2 ↓, GSH ↓ (often) ↔ (conflicting) NRF2 ↑, SOD ↑, GSH ↑ (context-dependent) G Antioxidant program reprogramming Direction is context- and model-dependent; important for interpreting chemo-compatibility and ROS claims.
7 HIF-1α / glycolysis HIF-1α ↓, glycolysis ↓, ATP ↓ (model-dependent) ↔ G Metabolic stress / Warburg pressure Reported suppression of glycolysis nodes (e.g., GLUT1/LDHA/HK2/PKM2/PDK1) in some models; may be concentration-sensitive.
8 Migration / invasion and EMT EMT ↓, FAK ↓, integrin signaling ↓, MMPs ↓, uPA ↓ ↔ G Anti-metastatic phenotypes Often downstream of kinase-network suppression and inflammatory tone changes.
9 Angiogenesis programs VEGF ↓ (model-dependent) ↔ G Anti-angiogenic signaling pressure Usually indirect via HIF-1α / inflammatory signaling and tumor-stromal coupling.
10 Epigenetic regulation HDAC ↓, DNMTs ↓, EZH2 ↓ (model-dependent) ↔ G Transcriptional reprogramming Mechanistically plausible but often secondary to upstream stress/kinase changes; evidence varies by model.
11 Cancer stemness pathways Hh/GLI ↓, CK2 ↓, CSC phenotypes ↓ (model-dependent) ↔ G Stemness pressure Typically preclinical; may matter for recurrence-resistance hypotheses.
12 Chemosensitization / death-ligand sensitization Sensitization ↑ (model-dependent) ↔ R Combination leverage Examples include TRAIL sensitization in vitro; translation depends on achievable exposure and interaction risk.
13 Clinical Translation Constraint Low solubility; conjugation-heavy PK; in-vitro concentration gap; potential CYP/UGT/SULT interactions Drug–supplement interaction risk relevant to both — Delivery and interaction limitations Oral free-aglycone systemic levels are often low; formulation can change exposure. In vitro CYP inhibition is reported (notably CYP3A4/2C9); apigenin can also inhibit conjugation pathways in models—caution with narrow-therapeutic-index drugs.

TSF

P: 0–30 min
R: 30 min–3 hr
G: >3 hr



MET, Metformin: Click to Expand ⟱
Features: oral antidiabetic agent,
Metformin is a pleiotropic drug: attributed to its action on AMPK
Metformin is a biguanide drug used primarily for type 2 diabetes. Mechanistically, it is best described as a bioenergetic modulator: partial inhibition of mitochondrial respiration can raise AMP/ADP, engage AMPK, and suppress mTORC1 signaling; systemically it reduces hepatic gluconeogenesis and can lower insulin/IGF-1 growth signaling. In oncology, observational studies suggested improved outcomes in some settings, but randomized trial data are mixed (e.g., large adjuvant breast cancer data did not show broad benefit overall). Long-term use can be associated with vitamin B12 deficiency, and prescribing requires attention to renal function due to rare lactic acidosis risk in predisposed states.
Metformin directly(partially) inhibits Complex I of the electron transport chain (ETC) in mitochondria. This inhibition decreases mitochondrial ATP production and forces cells to rely more on glycolysis for energy.
Cancer cells, especially those with high energy demands, may be particularly sensitive to a drop in ATP levels. The inhibition of Complex I also increases the AMP/ATP ratio, setting the stage for the activation of downstream energy stress pathways.
AMPK activation results in the inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, a central regulator of protein synthesis and cellular growth. mTOR inhibition reduces cell proliferation and limits tissue growth, which can slow tumor progression.

Metformin reduces circulating insulin levels, which in turn can decrease the activation of the insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) receptor pathways.

ETC Inhibitors: Drugs that directly inhibit specific ETC complexes (e.g., Complex I inhibitors like metformin or phenformin) can increase electron leakage and ROS production.(dose- and context-dependent, and not consistent)

-known as mild OXPHOS inhibitor(Complex I modulator)

Metformin — a synthetic hydrophilic biguanide and oral glucose-lowering drug used primarily for type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is formally classified as a biguanide antihyperglycemic agent and is commonly abbreviated MET. Its pharmacological lineage derives from the guanidine compound galegine found in Galega officinalis, although modern metformin is synthetic. In oncology it is best regarded as a metabolic/bioenergetic modulator rather than a conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy drug. Its proposed anticancer activity combines direct cellular energy stress with systemic reductions in glucose/insulin-driven growth signaling, but clinical translation has been substantially weaker than the extensive preclinical literature initially suggested.

Primary mechanisms (ranked):

  1. Mitochondrial respiratory Complex I/OXPHOS inhibition or modulation, producing cellular energy stress and reduced ATP availability; the magnitude at clinically achievable concentrations remains debated.
  2. AMPK activation through altered cellular energy state and additional lysosomal/signaling mechanisms, with downstream suppression of anabolic growth programs.
  3. mTORC1 suppression through AMPK-TSC2/Raptor-dependent and reported AMPK-independent mechanisms, reducing protein synthesis and proliferative signaling.
  4. Systemic suppression of hepatic gluconeogenesis and hyperinsulinemia, potentially reducing insulin/IGF-1-mediated tumor growth signaling.
  5. Metabolic reprogramming involving glycolysis, PKM2, HIF-1α and mitochondrial substrate utilization in susceptible tumor contexts.
  6. Cell-cycle inhibition and apoptosis under metabolic stress, particularly in nutrient-poor or metabolically vulnerable tumor models.
  7. Inhibition of EMT, invasion and migration through HIF-1α, mTOR, STAT3, TGF-β and related signaling networks.
  8. ROS/redox modulation as a secondary, dose- and context-dependent mechanism; ROS may increase in metabolically stressed cancer cells while antioxidant effects can occur in normal tissues.
  9. Chemo- and radiosensitization in selected experimental systems; this remains context-dependent and has not translated into consistent survival benefit in randomized oncology trials.

Bioavailability / PK relevance: Oral bioavailability is approximately 50–60%. Metformin is highly hydrophilic, requires membrane transporters such as OCT and MATE family proteins for tissue disposition, undergoes essentially no metabolism, and is eliminated unchanged primarily by the kidneys. The multiple-dose elimination half-life in subjects with preserved renal function is approximately 5 hours. A 1 g oral dose commonly produces peak plasma concentrations in the tens-of-micromolar range rather than the millimolar range frequently used experimentally. Renal impairment can markedly increase exposure.

In-vitro vs systemic exposure relevance: This is a major translational limitation. Many direct anticancer experiments use approximately 0.5–10 mM metformin, and some use still higher concentrations, whereas usual therapeutic plasma exposure is generally in the low tens-of-micromolar range. Therefore, strong direct Complex I inhibition, ATP depletion, ROS generation, apoptosis and glycolytic suppression observed at millimolar concentrations should not automatically be interpreted as achievable in human tumors at standard oral dosing. Tumor accumulation occurs and is heterogeneous, but measured human tumor concentrations remain substantially below many standard cell-culture exposures.
-a 1-g dose has been reported to peak around 20–30 µM, whereas much of the mechanistic cancer literature uses 1–10 mM.

Clinical evidence status: RCT / investigational adjunct. Metformin is an established prescription treatment for type 2 diabetes but is not an approved anticancer therapy. Numerous observational studies report associations with lower cancer incidence or improved outcomes, particularly in diabetic populations, but randomized evidence has not demonstrated a general anticancer survival benefit. The large MA.32 breast-cancer trial was negative for its primary outcome in the overall population, and meta-analyses of randomized oncology trials have generally found no significant improvement in progression-free or overall survival. Current evidence therefore supports mechanistic and investigational adjunct relevance rather than established cancer therapy.

Safety / clinical constraints: Gastrointestinal adverse effects are common. Long-term therapy can contribute to vitamin B12 deficiency. Metformin-associated lactic acidosis is rare but potentially severe, with risk increasing when drug accumulation or tissue hypoxia occurs, particularly with significant renal dysfunction. Renal function is therefore a major determinant of safe dosing and systemic exposure.

Metformin Cancer Mechanisms

Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells TSF Primary Effect Notes / Interpretation
1 Mitochondrial Complex I and OXPHOS Complex I ↓; OCR ↓; ATP ↓ (dose-dependent) Mitochondrial respiration ↓ (mild) P, R Bioenergetic stress Central mechanistic hypothesis, but pronounced direct Complex I inhibition often requires concentrations above ordinary human plasma exposure.
2 AMPK energy-sensing pathway AMPK ↑; p-AMPK ↑ AMPK ↑ R Energy-stress adaptation Can follow altered AMP/ADP/ATP balance; clinically relevant concentrations may also engage AMPK through mechanisms not requiring severe ATP depletion.
3 mTORC1 anabolic signaling mTORC1 ↓; p70S6K ↓; protein synthesis ↓ Anabolic signaling ↓ (context-dependent) R, G Growth suppression AMPK-TSC2 and AMPK-Raptor mechanisms are well characterized; AMPK-independent mTOR regulation has also been reported.
4 Insulin and IGF growth signaling Mitogenic insulin/IGF signaling ↓ indirectly Insulin resistance ↓; circulating insulin ↓ G Systemic growth-factor reduction Potentially important clinically because it does not require millimolar intratumoral metformin; likely most relevant in insulin-resistant or hyperinsulinemic patients.
5 Glycolysis and PKM2 metabolic programming PKM2 ↓; glycolysis ↓ or compensatory ↑ (context-dependent); lactate production ↓ in several models Glucose production ↓; metabolic homeostasis ↑ R, G Metabolic reprogramming Direction depends strongly on tumor type, nutrient availability and degree of respiratory inhibition; compensatory glycolysis can increase when OXPHOS is inhibited.
6 HIF-1α hypoxic metabolic signaling HIF-1α ↓; hypoxic glycolytic program ↓ ↔ or ↓ (context-dependent) G Hypoxia adaptation suppression Reported across several tumor models and can converge with PKM2, STAT3 and glycolytic regulation.
7 Cell cycle and apoptosis Proliferation ↓; Cyclin D1 ↓; apoptosis ↑ Usually limited cytotoxicity at therapeutic exposure G Cytostasis and conditional cell death Often secondary to prolonged energy stress and mTOR suppression. Strong apoptosis is particularly common at millimolar concentrations or under nutrient limitation.
8 EMT invasion and migration EMT ↓; migration ↓; invasion ↓; E-cadherin ↑ ↔ G Reduced metastatic phenotype Reported through mTOR, HIF-1α, PKM2, STAT3, TGF-β and related networks; primarily preclinical evidence.
9 Mitochondrial ROS and redox stress ROS ↑ (secondary, dose-dependent); GSH ↓ and NRF2 ↓ in selected models ROS ↓; NRF2 ↑ reported in protective contexts P, R Context-dependent redox modulation ROS increase is not a universal primary metformin mechanism. Strong pro-oxidant effects frequently occur under high concentration, combination treatment or metabolic stress.
10 Autophagy and stress adaptation Autophagy ↑ or ↓ (model-dependent) Cellular stress adaptation ↑ (context-dependent) G Adaptive metabolic response AMPK and mTOR regulation can promote autophagy, but downstream consequences can be either tumor-suppressive or tumor-protective.
11 Chemosensitization Drug sensitivity ↑ (model-dependent) Variable G Adjunct treatment effect Synergy has been reported with several cytotoxic and targeted agents, including effects at micromolar metformin concentrations in some models; randomized clinical evidence has not demonstrated a general survival advantage.
12 Radiosensitization Radiation sensitivity ↑ (model-dependent) Variable G Adjunct radiation response Preclinical evidence exists, potentially involving metabolic stress, AMPK and tumor oxygen/redox effects; not an established clinical indication.
13 Clinical Translation Constraint Direct effects often require supra-pharmacologic exposure Renal clearance determines accumulation and toxicity risk G Exposure and efficacy limitation Typical human plasma concentrations are micromolar whereas many anticancer experiments use millimolar metformin. Tumor uptake is heterogeneous, and randomized trials have not demonstrated broad anticancer efficacy.

TSF: P: 0–30 min    R: 30 min–3 hr    G: >3 hr



Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
1563- Api,  MET,    Metformin-induced ROS upregulation as amplified by apigenin causes profound anticancer activity while sparing normal cells
- in-vitro, Nor, HDFa - in-vitro, PC, AsPC-1 - in-vitro, PC, MIA PaCa-2 - in-vitro, Pca, DU145 - in-vitro, Pca, LNCaP - in-vivo, NA, NA
selectivity↑, selectivity↑, selectivity↓, ROS↑, Synergy↑, tumCV↓, MMP↓, Dose∅, eff↓, DNAdam↑, Apoptosis↑, TumAuto↑, Necroptosis↑, p‑P53↑, BIM↑, BAX↑, p‑PARP↑, Casp3↑, Casp8↑, Casp9↑, Cyt‑c↑, Bcl-2↓, AIF↑, p62↑, LC3B↑, MLKL↑, p‑MLKL↓, RIP3↑, p‑RIP3↑, TumCG↑, TumW↓,

Showing Research Papers: 1 to 1 of 1

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 1

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress(tgid=1) ⓘ

ROS↑, 1,  

Cell Death(tgid=5) ⓘ

AIF↑, 1,   Apoptosis↑, 1,   BAX↑, 1,   Bcl-2↓, 1,   BIM↑, 1,   Casp3↑, 1,   Casp8↑, 1,   Casp9↑, 1,   Cyt‑c↑, 1,   MLKL↑, 1,   p‑MLKL↓, 1,   Necroptosis↑, 1,   RIP3↑, 1,   p‑RIP3↑, 1,  

Transcription & Epigenetics(tgid=7) ⓘ

tumCV↓, 1,  

Autophagy & Lysosomes(tgid=9) ⓘ

LC3B↑, 1,   p62↑, 1,   TumAuto↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair(tgid=10) ⓘ

DNAdam↑, 1,   p‑P53↑, 1,   p‑PARP↑, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State(tgid=12) ⓘ

TumCG↑, 1,  

Barriers & Transport(tgid=15) ⓘ

MMP↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance(tgid=21) ⓘ

Dose∅, 1,   eff↓, 1,   selectivity↓, 1,   selectivity↑, 2,   Synergy↑, 1,  

Functional Outcomes(tgid=23) ⓘ

TumW↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 30

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Total Targets: 0

Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers.
Such Conditions may include : 
  -low or high Dose
  -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations
  -different cell line effects
  -synergies with other products 
  -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells
Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:%  IllCat:%  CanType:%  Cells:%  prod#:32  Target#:%  State#:%  Dir#:%
wNotes=0 sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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