Baicalein / ChemoSen Cancer Research Results

Ba, Baicalein: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:

Baicalein — Baicalein is a polyphenolic flavone aglycone found primarily in Scutellaria baicalensis and related botanicals, and is the active unconjugated counterpart of baicalin after intestinal/microbial deconjugation and re-conjugation cycling. It is formally classified as a small-molecule natural-product flavonoid with pleiotropic signaling, redox, metabolic, and enzyme-modulatory activity. Standard abbreviations include Ba or BE. In cancer literature it is best characterized as a multi-target preclinical anticancer scaffold rather than an established oncology drug, with relatively strong mechanistic support for apoptosis induction, survival-pathway suppression, anti-invasive signaling, and 12-lipoxygenase inhibition, but with major translational constraints from poor aqueous solubility, extensive first-pass glucuronidation/sulfation, transporter-enzyme interactions, and the likelihood that many in-vitro exposure levels exceed typical systemic aglycone exposure.

Primary mechanisms (ranked):

  1. 12-lipoxygenase inhibition with downstream suppression of pro-survival, pro-migratory, and pro-angiogenic lipid signaling.
  2. Intrinsic apoptosis induction via mitochondrial destabilization, cytochrome-c release, caspase-9/3 activation, and BAX:BCL-2 shift.
  3. PI3K/AKT survival-axis repression, often with PTEN restoration and reduced downstream anti-apoptotic signaling.
  4. Redox stress modulation with tumor-context ROS↑ and impaired antioxidant buffering, but normal-cell antioxidant protection in oxidative-injury models.
  5. ER-stress and Ca²⁺ stress coupling that amplifies mitochondrial commitment to cell death.
  6. Suppression of glycolysis / hypoxia adaptation, including HIF-1α, HK2, LDHA, PDK1, PKM2, and GLUT1 in relevant models.
  7. Anti-invasive / anti-metastatic signaling through MMP2/MMP9 and related migration programs.
  8. Anti-angiogenic signaling with VEGF reduction.
  9. Contextual chemo- and radiosensitization in selected models.

Bioavailability / PK relevance: Oral translation is constrained by very low water solubility and extensive intestinal/hepatic phase-II metabolism to glucuronide and sulfate conjugates. Human phase-I data show rapid absorption of tablet formulations with peak plasma levels around 2 hours, steady state after repeated dosing, and major circulating/excreted metabolite burden rather than sustained high parent-aglycone exposure. Microbiota, UGT-dependent reconjugation, and transporter/CYP interactions are clinically relevant variables. Intestinal microbiota are mechanistically relevant because baicalin is converted to baicalein before absorption. Poor translational PK is reinforced by very low aqueous solubility, reported around 16.82 μg/mL, and by formulation studies showing large exposure gains after cocrystal/nanodelivery approaches.

In-vitro vs systemic exposure relevance: Many anticancer cell studies use roughly 10–50 μM and sometimes higher. That generally exceeds typical reported average human plasma exposure for parent baicalein after oral dosing, so direct translation of higher-concentration in-vitro effects should be treated cautiously unless formulation enhancement, local delivery, tissue enrichment, conjugate deconjugation, or combination use is specifically justified.

Clinical evidence status: Strong preclinical evidence across multiple tumor models; limited animal efficacy support; human clinical experience is mainly phase-I safety/PK and non-oncology development contexts. There is no established cancer indication or mainstream regulatory oncology deployment as of March 12, 2026.

Here are some of the key pathways and mechanisms implicated in its anticancer effects:
-Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Regulation
-Reactive Oxygen Species ROS↑ Generation and Oxidative Stress (Context and dose dependent)
- ROS↑ related: MMP↓(ΔΨm), ER Stress↑, Ca+2↑, Cyt‑c↑, Caspase-3↑, Caspase-9↑, DNA damage↑,
-Baicalein’s effects on ROS are context-dependent. In some cancer cells, it promotes ROS production to a degree that overwhelms the antioxidant defenses. Elevated ROS levels can damage cellular components and promote apoptosis, essentially tipping the balance toward cell death.
-Conversely, in normal cells, baicalein may exhibit antioxidant properties and reduce ROS↓ under conditions of oxidative stress, highlighting its dual role.
- May Lowers AntiOxidant defense in Cancer Cells: NRF2↓, GSH↓, HO-1↓
- Raises AntiOxidant defense in Normal Cells: NRF2↑, SOD↑, GSH↑, Catalase↑, HO-1↑,
-MAPK, ERK Pathway:
-PI3K/Akt Pathway: Inhibition of the PI3K, Akt pathway by baicalein.
-NF-κB Pathway: Baicalein can inhibit
-Inhibition of Metastasis and Invasion: Baicalein can downregulate MMPs, MMP2, MMP9
-Angiogenesis Suppression: VEGF
-Baicalein is a well-known inhibitor of 12-lipoxygenase
-inhibitor of Glycolysis↓ and HIF-1α↓, PKM2↓, cMyc↓, PDK1↓, GLUT1↓, LDHA↓, HK2↓
- promoting PTEN
-chemo-sensitization, chemoProtective, RadioSensitizer, RadioProtective, neuroprotective, Cognitive, Renoprotection, Hepatoprotective, cardioProtective,
- Selectivity: Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells
-low bioavailability but liposomal may improve bioavailability

In summary, baicalein affects cancer cells by modulating multiple pathways—promoting apoptosis, causing cell cycle arrest, generating or modulating ROS levels, inhibiting survival and proliferative signaling (such as MAPK, PI3K/Akt, and NF-κB pathways), and reducing angiogenesis and metastasis.

Many animal studies, doses have been reported in the range of approximately 10 to 200 mg/kg body weight.
For example, some studies exploring anticancer or anti-inflammatory effects in rodent models have used doses around 50–100 mg/kg.
However, these doses do not directly translate to human dosages.
Some human studies or formulations (where they are used as nutraceuticals or supplements) may suggest dosing in the range of a few hundred milligrams per day of the extract, but it is often not standardized to a specific amount of baicalein or baicalin.
-mix with oil?

-ic50 cancer cells 10-30uM, normal cells 50-100uM
-Animal studies, 10 to 100 mg/kg.
-Reported to induce apoptosis, cause cell cycle arrest, inhibit angiogenesis, and modulate various signaling pathways (e.g., STAT3, NF-κB, MAPK).

Mechanistic table

Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells TSF Primary Effect Notes / Interpretation
1 12-Lipoxygenase axis ↓ 12-LOX, ↓ 12-HETE-linked survival / migration signaling ↔ or modest effect P, R Direct target-level antitumor leverage One of the more mechanistically specific baicalein actions. Supports anti-proliferative, anti-migratory, and anti-angiogenic behavior in susceptible tumors.
2 Mitochondria / MPTP ↓ ΔΨm, ↑ mitochondrial dysfunction, ↑ Cyt-c release ↔ or protected in oxidative-injury models R, G Intrinsic apoptosis commitment Mitochondrial collapse is a major convergence point downstream of redox, ER-stress, and survival-pathway suppression.
3 Caspase apoptosis program ↑ BAX, ↓ Bcl-2, ↑ Casp9, ↑ Casp3, ↑ apoptosis ↔ minimal activation G Cell-death execution Widely reported across tumor models; often follows mitochondrial injury rather than representing the earliest event.
4 PI3K / AKT / PTEN axis ↓ PI3K, ↓ p-AKT, ↑ PTEN ↔ or context-dependent R, G Survival suppression A central non-redox pathway that helps explain apoptosis sensitization, cell-cycle arrest, and metabolic downshift.
5 ROS balance ↑ ROS (dose-dependent) or ROS⇅ depending on model ↓ ROS under oxidative challenge P, R, G Tumor-selective redox stress Dual behavior is important: pro-oxidant pressure is common in malignant cells, whereas antioxidant cytoprotection is well documented in stressed non-malignant cells.
6 NRF2 / HO-1 / GSH antioxidant buffering ↓ NRF2, ↓ HO-1, ↓ GSH (context-dependent) ↑ NRF2, ↑ HO-1, ↑ GSH, ↑ SOD / catalase R, G Selectivity gate This divergent redox-buffer response likely contributes to cancer-versus-normal selectivity, but it is model-dependent and should not be overstated as universal.
7 ER stress and Ca²⁺ stress coupling ↑ ER stress, ↑ CHOP, ↑ UPR, ↑ Ca²⁺ dysregulation ↔ buffered homeostasis R, G Stress amplification Likely helps transmit redox/survival perturbation into irreversible mitochondrial death signaling.
8 Glycolysis / HIF-1α adaptation ↓ HIF-1α, ↓ HK2, ↓ LDHA, ↓ PDK1, ↓ PKM2, ↓ GLUT1, ↓ glycolysis ↔ G Metabolic constraint Most convincing in hypoxia-adaptation and gastric / radioresistance models. Usually reflects later transcriptional or adaptation-level effects.
9 NF-κB and MAPK / ERK signaling ↓ NF-κB, MAPK / ERK modulation (often ↓ ERK tone) ↔ or context-dependent P, R, G Signal reprogramming Supports lower inflammatory-survival tone, apoptosis sensitization, and reduced proliferation, but exact direction within MAPK branches can vary by tumor model.
10 Invasion / metastasis axis ↓ MMP2, ↓ MMP9, ↓ migration / invasion ↔ G Anti-invasive phenotype Phenotypically important and relatively consistent, though usually secondary to broader signaling reprogramming.
11 Angiogenesis axis ↓ VEGF, ↓ microvessel support ↔ G Anti-angiogenic support Supported by xenograft and lung-cancer data; best viewed as an adjunct downstream effect rather than sole primary mechanism.
12 Radiosensitization / chemosensitization ↑ treatment sensitivity (context-dependent) Potential normal-tissue protection in oxidative-injury contexts G Combination-use leverage Mechanistically plausible via HIF-1α/glycolysis suppression, NF-κB restraint, and apoptosis priming, but still preclinical and heterogeneous.
13 Clinical Translation Constraint Low parent exposure, variable microbiota handling, rapid conjugation, likely concentration gap May favor safety but complicates efficacy extrapolation G Delivery limitation Poor solubility, strong first-pass metabolism, conjugate predominance, possible CYP/transporter interactions, and lack of oncology-grade clinical validation are the main barriers.

Time-Scale Flag (TSF): P / R / G

  • P: 0–30 min (primary/physical–chemical effects; direct enzymatic or rapid signaling shifts)
  • R: 30 min–3 hr (redox signaling and acute stress-response signaling)
  • G: >3 hr (gene-regulatory adaptation and phenotype-level outcomes)
ChemoSen, chemo-sensitization: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
The effectiveness of chemotherapy by increasing cancer cell sensitivity to the drugs used to treat them, which is known as “chemo-sensitization”.

Chemo-Sensitizers:
-Curcumin
-Resveratrol
-EGCG
-Quercetin
-Genistein
-Berberine
-Piperine: alkaloid from black pepper
-Ginsenosides: active components of ginseng
-Silymarin
-Allicin
-Lycopene
-Ellagic acid
-caffeic acid phenethyl ester
-flavopiridol
-oleandrin
-ursolic acid
-butein
-betulinic acid
Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
2615- Ba,    The Multifaceted Role of Baicalein in Cancer Management through Modulation of Cell Signalling Pathways
- Review, Var, NA
*AntiCan↓, Baicalein is known to display anticancer activity through the inhibition of inflammation and cell proliferation
*Inflam↓,
TumCP↓,
NF-kB↓, baicalein decreased the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)
PPARγ↑, anti-inflammatory effects of baicalein might be initiated via PPARγ activation.
TumCCA↑, baicalein inhibited cell cycle progression and cell growth, and promoted apoptosis of cancer cells
JAK2↓, inactivation of the signaling pathway JAK2/STAT3 [63]
STAT3↓,
TumCMig↓, baicalein suppressed migration as well as invasion through decreasing the aerobic glycolysis and expression of MMP-2/9 proteins.
Glycolysis↓,
MMP2↓,
MMP9↓,
selectivity↑, Furthermore, baicalein and baicalin had less inhibitory effects on normal ovarian cells’ viability.
VEGF↓, baicalein is more effective in inhibiting the expressions of VEGF, HIF-1α, cMyc, and NFκB
Hif1a↓,
cMyc↓,
ChemoSen↑, baicalein enhanced the cisplatin sensitivity of SGC-7901/DDP gastric cancer cells by inducing autophagy and apoptosis through the Akt/mTOR and Keap 1/Nrf2 pathways
ROS↑, oral squamous cell carcinoma Cal27 cells. Significantly, it was noticed that baicalein activated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in Cal27 cells
p‑mTOR↓, results suggest that p-mTOR, p-Akt, p-IκB, and NF-κB protein expressions were decreased
PTEN↑, Baicalein upregulated PTEN expression, downregulated miR-424-3p, and downregulated PI3K and p-Akt.

2608- Ba,    Baicalein sensitizes hepatocellular carcinoma cells to 5-FU and Epirubicin by activating apoptosis and ameliorating P-glycoprotein activity
- in-vitro, HCC, Bel-7402
Apoptosis↑, Baicalein induced apoptosis and autophagy and decreased P-gp and Bcl-xl expression levels.
TumAuto↑,
P-gp↓,
Bcl-xL↓,
ChemoSen↑, We showed that Baicalein can reverse P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-mediated drug resistance.

2606- Ba,    Baicalein: A review of its anti-cancer effects and mechanisms in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
- Review, HCC, NA
ChemoSen↑, In addition, the combination of baicalein and silymarin eradicates HepG2 cells efficiently superior to baicalein or silymarin alone
TumCP↓, Cell viability assays have demonstrated that baicalein is significantly cytotoxic against several HCC cell lines and can inhibit the proliferation of HCC cells through arresting the cell cycle.
TumCCA↑,
TumCMig↓, Baicalein has been proved to inhibit migration and invasion of human HCC cells by reducing the expression and their proteinase activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs),
TumCI↓,
MMPs↓,
MAPK↓, A large number of studies found that baicalein could inhibit migration and invasion of cancer cells by targeting the MAPK, TGF-b/Smad4, GPR30 pathway and molecules such as, ezrin, zinc-finger protein X-linked (ZFX),
TGF-β↓,
ZFX↓,
p‑MEK↓, Baicalein could inhibited the phosphorylation of MEK1 and ERK1/2, leading to decreased expression and proteinase activity of MMP-2/9 and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA),
ERK↓,
MMP2↓,
MMP9↓,
uPA↓,
TIMP1↓, as well as increased expression of TIMP-1 and TIMP-2
TIMP2↓,
NF-kB↓, Additionally, the nuclear translocation of NF-kB/p50 and p65/RelA and the phosphorylation of I-kappa-B (IKB)-b could be down-regulated by baicalein
p65↓,
p‑IKKα↓,
Fas↑, Hep3 B cells via activating Fas, Caspase -2, -3, -8, -9, down-regulating Bcl-xL, and upregulating Bax [
Casp2↑,
Casp3↑,
Casp8↑,
Casp9↑,
Bcl-xL↓,
BAX↑,
ER Stress↑, baicalein could induced apoptosis via endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in SMMC-7721 and Bel-7402
Ca+2↑, increasing intracellular calcium(Ca2+ ), and activating JNK pathwa
JNK↑,
P53↑, selectively induce apoptosis in HCC J5 cells via upregulation of p53
ROS↑, baicalein could induced cell apoptosis through regulating ROS via increasing intracellular H2O 2 level [
H2O2↑,
cMyc↓, baicalein could promote apoptosis in HepG2 and Bel-7402 cells through inhibiting c-Myc and CD24 expression
CD24↓,
12LOX↓, baicalein could induced cell apoptosis in SMMC-7721 and HepG2 cells by specifically inhibiting expression of 12-lipoxygenase(12-LOX), a critical anti-apoptotic genes

2605- Ba,  BA,    Potential therapeutic effects of baicalin and baicalein
- Review, Var, NA - Review, Stroke, NA - Review, IBD, NA - Review, Arthritis, NA - Review, AD, NA - Review, Park, NA
cardioP↑, cardioprotective activities.
Inflam↓, Decreasing the accumulation of inflammatory mediators and improving cognitive function
cognitive↑,
*hepatoP↑, Decreasing inflammation, reducing oxidative stress, regulating the metabolism of lipids, and decreasing fibrosis, apoptosis, and steatosis are their main hepatoprotective mechanisms
*ROS?, Reducing oxidative stress and protecting the mitochondria to inhibit apoptosis are proposed as hepatoprotective mechanisms of baicalin in NAFLD
*SOD↑, Baicalin could reduce the levels of ROS and fatty acid-induced MDA, and increase superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione amounts compared to the control.
*GSH↑,
*MMP↑, Moreover, baicalin could partially restore mitochondrial morphology and increase ATP5A expression and mitochondrial membrane potential (Gao et al., 2022).
*GutMicro↑, After baicalein treatment, a remodelling in the overall structure of the gut microbiota was observed
ChemoSen↑, Besides, a combination of baicalin and doxorubicin could elevate the chemosensitivity of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells
*TNF-α↓, Baicalin can protect cardiomyocytes from hypoxia/reoxygenation injury by elevating the SOD activity and anti-inflammatory responses through reducing TNF-α, enhancing IL-10 levels, decreasing IL-6, and inhibiting the translocation of NF-κB to the nucl
*IL10↑,
*IL6↓,
*eff↑, Studies show that baicalin and baicalein may be effective against IBD by suppressing oxidative stress and inflammation, and regulating the immune system.
*ROS↓,
*COX2↓, baicalein can improve the symptoms of ulcerative colitis by lowering the expression of pregnane X receptor (PXR), (iNOS), (COX-2), and caudal-type homeobox 2 (Cdx2), as well as the NF-κβ and STAT3
*NF-kB↓,
*STAT3↓,
*PGE2↓, Administration of baicalin (30-90 mg/kg) could decrease the levels of prostaglandin E2 (PEG2), myeloperoxidase (MPO), IL-1β, TNF-α, and the apoptosis-related genes including Bcl-2 and caspase-9
*MPO↓,
*IL1β↓,
*MMP2↓, Rheumatoid arthritis RA mouse model by supressing relevant proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1b, IL-6, MMP-2, MMP-9, TNF-α, iNOS, and COX-2)
*MMP9↓,
*β-Amyloid↓, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) : reduce β-amyloid and trigger non-amyloidogenic amyloid precursor proteins.
*neuroP↑, For instance, administration of baicalin orally for 14 days (100 mg/kg body weight) exhibited neuroprotective effects on pathological changes and behavioral deficits of Aβ 1–42 protein-induced AD in vivo.
*Dose↝, administration of baicalin (500 mg/day, orally for 12 weeks) could improve the levels of total cholesterol, TGs, LDLC and apolipoproteins (APOs), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and coronary arte
*BioAv↝, the total absorption of baicalin depends on the activity of intestinal bacteria to convert baicalin to baicalein as the first step.
*BioAv↝, Kidneys, liver, and lungs are the main organs in which baicalin accumulates the most.
*BBB↑, Baicalin and baicalein can pass through the blood brain barrier (BBB)
*BDNF↑, mechanism of action for baicalein is illustrated in Figure 3. Activation of the BDNF/TrkB/CREB pathway, inhibition of NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pathway,

5501- Ba,    Therapeutic effects and mechanisms of action of Baicalein on stomach cancer: a comprehensive systematic literature review
- Review, GC, NA
AntiCan↑, The review demonstrated that BC exerts therapeutic effects on GC through multiple biochemical mechanisms.
Apoptosis↑, BC plays an important role in inducing apoptosis, inhibiting cell proliferation, and suppressing metastasis in GC cells.
TumCP↓,
TumMeta↓,
BAX↑, graphical abstract
TumAuto↑,
ROS↑,
NRF2↝, BC induced apoptosis and autophagy in MGC-803, SGC-7901, and HGC-27 cells, enhancing cisplatin sensitivity via suppression of the AKT/mTOR pathway and modulation of the Nrf2/Keap1 axis.
PI3K↓,
Akt↓,
NF-kB↓,
TGF-β↓,
SMAD4↓,
GPx4↓, It induces autophagy and ferroptosis, partly through p53 activation and suppression of SLC7A11/GPX4, and disrupts mitochondrial membrane potential via reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation [31, 37]
MMP↓,
*HO-1↑, BC stabilizes Nrf2, leading to the induction of antioxidant enzymes such as HO-1, GST, and NQO1, which mitigate oxidative stress and contribute to its antitumor effects [38].
*GSTs↑,
*antiOx↑,
*AntiTum↑,
*NRF2↑,
ChemoSen↑, BC induced apoptosis and autophagy in MGC-803, SGC-7901, and HGC-27 cells, enhancing cisplatin sensitivity via suppression of the AKT/mTOR pathway and modulation of the Nrf2/Keap1 axis.
Akt↓,
mTOR↓,
FAK↓, reducing FAK expression
Ki-67↓, Immunohistochemical analysis also revealed lower Ki-67 levels, indicating reduced cellular proliferation.

5251- Ba,    The Fascinating Effects of Baicalein on Cancer: A Review
- Review, Var, NA
AntiTum↑, The anti-tumor functions of baicalein are mainly due to its capacities to inhibit complexes of cyclins to regulate the cell cycle, to scavenge oxidative radicals, to attenuate mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), protein kinase B (Akt) or mammali
TumCCA↓,
ROS↓,
MAPK↓,
Akt↓,
mTOR↓,
Casp3↑, , to induce apoptosis by activating caspase-9/-3 and to inhibit tumorinvasion and metastasis by reducing the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2/-9 (MMP-2/-9).
Casp9↑,
TumCI↓,
TumMeta↓,
MMP2↓,
MMP9↓,
Securin↓, Baicalein also induced cell death by reducing the expression of securin, while also inhibiting cancer cell death by affecting the expression of p-AKT and γ-H2AX [26].
γH2AX↝,
N-cadherin↓, Baicalein also decreased the expression of metastasis-associated molecules, including N-cadherin, vimentin, ZEB1, and ZEB2.
Vim↓,
Zeb1↓,
ZEB2↓,
TumCMig↓, researchers demonstrated that baiclalein inhibited cellular adhesion, migration, invasion, and growth of HCC cells both in vitro and in vivo.
TumCG↑,
12LOX↓, Baicalein is an inhibitor of 12-LOX and induced apoptosis, morphological changes, and carbonic anhydrase expression in PaCa cells.
DR5↑, Baicalein lessened this resistance to TRAIL by upregulating DR5 expression and promoting the expression of ROS, thus causing TRAIL sensitization in PC3 cells [85]
ROS↑,
RadioS↑, baicalein increased the sensitivity of prostate cancer cells to radiation without affecting this sensitivity in normal cells
ChemoSen↑, Combination therapy of baicalein with paclitaxel, which were assembled by nanoparticles, was demonstrated to have synergistic anticancer effects in A549 lung cancer cells and in mice bearing A549/PTX drug-resistant lung cancer xenografts [97].
BioAv↓, It is worth noting that the bioavailability of baicalein in vivo remains low.

5250- Ba,    Exploring baicalein: A natural flavonoid for enhancing cancer prevention and treatment
- Review, Var, NA
Apoptosis↑, Baicalein is thought to prevent cancer progression by inducing apoptosis, autophagy, and genome instability, and its ability to promote chemo-potentiation, anti-metastatic effects, and regulate specific signalling molecules and transcription factors.
TumAuto↑,
DNAdam↑,
*antiOx↑, Baicalein has already been proven to be a radical scavenger that acts as an antioxidant [14,15
Inflam↓, it can also reduce inflammation [16] and act as an E2 prostaglandin inhibitor [17].
PGE2↓,
TumCCA↑, Baicalein properties prevent cell proliferation, induce apoptosis, autophagy, cell cycle arrest, cancer cell migration and invasion, and decrease angiogenesis [18,19].
TumCMig↓,
TumCI↓,
angioG↓,
selectivity↑, Furthermore, some studies have suggested that baicalein has a lower toxicity on normal cells than cancer cells, indicating some selectivity for cancer cells.
ChemoSen↑, the current review emphasises baicaleins' synergistic potential with other chemotherapeutic agents
HIF-1↓, baicalein against ovarian cancer by demonstrating that it can limit tumour cell viability by downregulating the expression of cancer-promoting genes such as HIF-1, cMyc, NFkB, and VEGF
cMyc↓,
NF-kB↓,
VEGF↓,
P53↑, Baicalein has been shown to activate p53, a tumour suppressor protein that regulates cell growth and division [26].
MMP2↓, anticancer properties of baicalein are mediated through various molecular mechanisms, including inhibition of MMP-2;
CSCs↓, inhibition of cancer stem cells
Bcl-xL↓, after bladder cancer cells were treated with baicalein, the expression of antiapoptotic genes (Bcl2, Bcl-xL, XIAP, and survivin) was reduced, and cell viability was decreased [38].
XIAP↓,
survivin↓,
tumCV↓,
Casp3↑, upregulating the expression of caspase-3 and caspase-8 and decreased the BCL-2/BAX ratio [16]
Casp8↑,
Bax:Bcl2↑,
Akt↓, in lung cancer cells, apoptosis was induced through the downregulation of the Akt/mTOR signalling pathway [25].
mTOR↓,
PCNA↓, baicalein treatment promoted apoptosis in mice with U87 gliomas by downregulating PCNA expression, enhancing the expression of caspase-3 and caspase-9 and improving the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio
MMP↓, baicalein treatment of lung cancer cells caused a collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), an increase in ROS generation, and enhanced PARP, caspase 3, and caspase 9 cleavage,
ROS↑,
PARP↑,
Casp9↑,
BioAv↑, Baicalein has been found to enhance the cytotoxicity and bioavailability of certain cancer therapy drugs when combined [85]
eff↑, combination of baicalein with silymarin differentially decreased the viability of HepG2 cells, enhanced the proportion of cells in the G0/G1 phase, upregulated tumour suppressors such as Rb and p53 and CDK inhibitors, and downregulated cyclin D1, cyc
P-gp↓, By inhibiting P-glycoprotein (P-gp), baicalein can increase the accumulation of chemotherapeutic drugs within cancer cells [21]
BioAv↑, selenium–baicalein nanoparticles as a targeted therapeutic strategy for NSCLC. This strategy significantly improves the bioavailability of baicalein through several mechanisms.
selectivity↑, ome studies have suggested that baicalein has a lower toxicity on normal cells than cancer cells, indicating some selectivity for cancer cells

5249- Ba,  BA,    Baicalein and baicalin in cancer therapy: Multifaceted mechanisms, preclinical evidence, and translational challenges
- Review, Var, NA
Apoptosis↑, Mechanistically, they modulate interconnected signaling cascades governing apoptosis, inflammation, and cell cycle control, and they enhance tumor sensitivity to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Inflam↓,
TumCCA↑,
ChemoSen↑,
RadioS↑,
TumCG↓, In-vivo models consistently demonstrate tumor growth inhibition, while clinical data suggest a favorable safety profile, even at relatively high oral doses.
toxicity↓,
BioAv↓, their clinical translation remains hampered by limited solubility, poor oral bioavailability, and rapid metabolism,
Half-Life↓, However, baicalein showed a partial bioavailability, poor solubility and pharmacokinetics, and a short half-life [6]

5248- Ba,  BA,  doxoR,    Baicalin and Baicalein Enhance Cytotoxicity, Proapoptotic Activity, and Genotoxicity of Doxorubicin and Docetaxel in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells
- in-vitro, BC, MCF-7 - in-vitro, Nor, HUVECs
toxicity↝, We have found that baicalin and baicalein demonstrated cytotoxicity towards both cell lines, with more potent effects observed in baicalein.
ChemoSen↑, Both flavonoids, baicalin (167 µmol/L) and baicalein (95 µmol/L), synergistically enhanced the cytotoxic, proapoptotic, and genotoxic activity of doxorubicin and docetaxel in breast cancer cells.
selectivity↑, Surprisingly, low concentrations of baicalin and baicalein had a greater effect on MCF-7 viability. A
Apoptosis↑, Induction of Apoptosis and Necrosis by Baicalin and Baicalein Used alone and in Combination with Anticancer Drugs
necrosis↑,
MMP↓, After treatment with baicalin and baicalein at high concentrations (IC50), the ΔΨm of cancer cells was diminished to 30% of the control value
DNAdam↑, DNA Damage Induced by Baicalin and Baicalein Used Alone and in Combination with Anticancer Drugs
cl‑PARP↑, PARP Cleavage Induced by Baicalin and Baicalein Used Alone and in Combination with Anticancer Drugs
MRP1↓, Moreover, baicalin and baicalein reduced cisplatin resistance by inhibiting the expression of genes involved in drug resistance, such as MRP1 [30] and Bcl-2, and via the Akt/mTOR and Nrf2/Keap 1 pathway [26].
Bcl-2↓,
hepatoP↑, baicalin and baicalein can also help decrease the side effects of cisplatin treatment by protecting the liver from damage [31]
cardioP↑, Similar to baicalein, baicalin also significantly protects against doxorubicin’s cardiotoxicity.
BioAv↝, This is because baicalein has a smaller size and high lipophilicity, contributing to fast absorption and an improved ability to penetrate cells [60].

1053- Ba,  docx,    Baicalin, a Potent Inhibitor of NF-κB Signaling Pathway, Enhances Chemosensitivity of Breast Cancer Cells to Docetaxel and Inhibits Tumor Growth and Metastasis Both In Vitro and In Vivo
- in-vivo, BC, 4T1
TumCP↓,
Apoptosis↑,
ROS↑, cellular induction of reactive oxygen species
Bax:Bcl2↑,
NF-kB↓,
ChemoSen↑, BA sensitized BC cells to docetaxel (DXL) by suppressing the expression of survivin/Bcl-2
survivin↓,

2597- Ba,    Baicalein – An Intriguing Therapeutic Phytochemical in Pancreatic Cancer
- Review, PC, NA
chemoP↑, Compounds such as baicalein, offer promise in dietary chemoprevention, as chemotherapeutic adjuvants, or as targeted therapy.
ChemoSen↑,
12LOX?, LOX-12 specific inhibitor baicalein attenuates cancer cell growth
Bcl-2↓, baicalein, human pancreatic cancer cells expressed decreased anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 and increased pro-apoptotic protein bax
BAX↑,
Mcl-1↓,
ERK↓, activation of the ERK pathway in melanoma
Prx6↑, up-regulation in the expression of PRDX6 in colorectal cancer
Dose↝, concentrations at which we and others have found baicalein to be anti-proliferative in vitro are between 10μM and 100μM.
BioAv↓, it is thought that only 10% of ingested dietary polyphenols or their conjugates are found in the urine or plasma.
eff↑, It is possible that the antitumor properties of baicalein in vivo are due to baicalin as opposed to baicalein, as these compounds are inter-converted in the intestine by naturally occurring microbes

2298- Ba,    Flavonoids Targeting HIF-1: Implications on Cancer Metabolism
- Review, Var, NA
TumCG↓, Baicalein significantly reduced intracerebral tumor growth and proliferation and promoted apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in orthotopic U87 gliomas in mice
TumCP↓,
Hif1a↓, suppression of HIF-1α by baicalein contributed to its reduction of cell viability in ovarian cancer (OVCAR-3 and CP-70) cell lines. 20-μM and 40-μM.
VEGF↓, Suppression of HIF-1α/VEGF pathway
ChemoSen↑, Moreover, baicalein increased the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells (AGS) to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) under hypoxic conditions
Glycolysis↓, baicalein suppressed the expression of glycolysis-associated enzymes including HKII, PDK1, and LDHA via inhibition of Akt-phosphorylation, which led to HIF-1α suppression
HK2↓,
PDK1↓,
LDHA↓,
p‑Akt↓,
PTEN↑, Furthermore, baicalein inhibited hypoxia-induced Akt phosphorylation by promoting PTEN accumulation, thereby attenuating hypoxia-inducible factor-alpha ( HIF-1a) expression in AGS cells. (orginal paper)

2295- Ba,  5-FU,    Baicalein reverses hypoxia-induced 5-FU resistance in gastric cancer AGS cells through suppression of glycolysis and the PTEN/Akt/HIF-1α signaling pathway
- in-vitro, GC, AGS
ChemoSen↑, baicalein increased the sensitivity of AGS cells to 5-FU treatment under hypoxia
HK2↓, hypoxia-enhanced glycolytic flux and expression of several critical glycolysis-associated enzymes (HK2, LDH-A and PDK1) in the AGS cells were suppressed by baicalein
LDHA↓,
PDK1↓,
Akt↓, baicalein inhibited hypoxia-induced Akt phosphorylation by promoting PTEN accumulation, thereby attenuating hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) expression in AGS cells
PTEN↑,
Hif1a↓,
Glycolysis↓, results together suggest that inhibition of glycolysis via regulation of the PTEN/Akt/HIF-1α signaling pathway may be one of the mechanisms whereby baicalein reverses 5-FU resistance in cancer cells under hypoxia.
ROS↑, Taniguchi et al found that baicalein overcomes tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand resistance in cancer cells through DR5 upregulation mediated by ROS induction and CHOP/GADD153 activation
CHOP↑,


Showing Research Papers: 1 to 13 of 13

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 13

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

GPx4↓, 1,   H2O2↑, 1,   NRF2↝, 1,   Prx6↑, 1,   ROS↓, 1,   ROS↑, 7,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics ⓘ

p‑MEK↓, 1,   MMP↓, 3,   XIAP↓, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

12LOX?, 1,   12LOX↓, 2,   cMyc↓, 3,   Glycolysis↓, 3,   HK2↓, 2,   LDHA↓, 2,   PDK1↓, 2,   PPARγ↑, 1,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Akt↓, 5,   p‑Akt↓, 1,   Apoptosis↑, 6,   BAX↑, 3,   Bax:Bcl2↑, 2,   Bcl-2↓, 2,   Bcl-xL↓, 3,   Casp2↑, 1,   Casp3↑, 3,   Casp8↑, 2,   Casp9↑, 3,   DR5↑, 1,   Fas↑, 1,   JNK↑, 1,   MAPK↓, 2,   Mcl-1↓, 1,   necrosis↑, 1,   survivin↓, 2,  

Transcription & Epigenetics ⓘ

tumCV↓, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress ⓘ

CHOP↑, 1,   ER Stress↑, 1,  

Autophagy & Lysosomes ⓘ

TumAuto↑, 3,  

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

DNAdam↑, 2,   P53↑, 2,   PARP↑, 1,   cl‑PARP↑, 1,   PCNA↓, 1,   γH2AX↝, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence ⓘ

Securin↓, 1,   TumCCA↓, 1,   TumCCA↑, 4,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

CD24↓, 1,   CSCs↓, 1,   ERK↓, 2,   mTOR↓, 3,   p‑mTOR↓, 1,   PI3K↓, 1,   PTEN↑, 3,   STAT3↓, 1,   TumCG↓, 2,   TumCG↑, 1,   ZFX↓, 1,  

Migration ⓘ

Ca+2↑, 1,   FAK↓, 1,   Ki-67↓, 1,   MMP2↓, 4,   MMP9↓, 3,   MMPs↓, 1,   N-cadherin↓, 1,   SMAD4↓, 1,   TGF-β↓, 2,   TIMP1↓, 1,   TIMP2↓, 1,   TumCI↓, 3,   TumCMig↓, 4,   TumCP↓, 5,   TumMeta↓, 2,   uPA↓, 1,   Vim↓, 1,   Zeb1↓, 1,   ZEB2↓, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

angioG↓, 1,   HIF-1↓, 1,   Hif1a↓, 3,   VEGF↓, 3,  

Barriers & Transport ⓘ

P-gp↓, 2,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

p‑IKKα↓, 1,   Inflam↓, 3,   JAK2↓, 1,   NF-kB↓, 5,   p65↓, 1,   PGE2↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↓, 3,   BioAv↑, 2,   BioAv↝, 1,   ChemoSen↑, 13,   Dose↝, 1,   eff↑, 2,   Half-Life↓, 1,   MRP1↓, 1,   RadioS↑, 2,   selectivity↑, 4,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

Ki-67↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

AntiCan↑, 1,   AntiTum↑, 1,   cardioP↑, 2,   chemoP↑, 1,   cognitive↑, 1,   hepatoP↑, 1,   toxicity↓, 1,   toxicity↝, 1,  
Total Targets: 108

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

antiOx↑, 2,   GSH↑, 1,   GSTs↑, 1,   HO-1↑, 1,   MPO↓, 1,   NRF2↑, 1,   ROS?, 1,   ROS↓, 1,   SOD↑, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics ⓘ

MMP↑, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

STAT3↓, 1,  

Migration ⓘ

MMP2↓, 1,   MMP9↓, 1,  

Barriers & Transport ⓘ

BBB↑, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

COX2↓, 1,   IL10↑, 1,   IL1β↓, 1,   IL6↓, 1,   Inflam↓, 1,   NF-kB↓, 1,   PGE2↓, 1,   TNF-α↓, 1,  

Synaptic & Neurotransmission ⓘ

BDNF↑, 1,  

Protein Aggregation ⓘ

β-Amyloid↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↝, 2,   Dose↝, 1,   eff↑, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

GutMicro↑, 1,   IL6↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

AntiCan↓, 1,   AntiTum↑, 1,   hepatoP↑, 1,   neuroP↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 33

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: ChemoSen, chemo-sensitization
13 Baicalein
3 Baicalin
1 doxorubicin
1 Docetaxel
1 5-fluorouracil
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#:38  Target#:1106  State#:%  Dir#:%
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