Description: <p><b>Puerarin</b></p>
<p><b>Recommended Abbreviation:</b> PUE</p>
<p><b>Alternative Names:</b> Daidzein-8-C-glucoside</p>
<p><b>Type:</b> Natural product / isoflavone C-glycoside / phytoestrogen</p>
<p><b>Source:</b> Puerarin is a major bioactive isoflavone and one of the most abundant secondary metabolites in the root of <i>Pueraria lobata</i> (kudzu, Gegen). It also occurs in related <i>Pueraria</i> species.</p>
<p><b>Function:</b> Puerarin exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, metabolic, vasodilatory, and anticancer activities. It modulates multiple signaling networks involved in oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, synaptic plasticity, mitochondrial function, and cellular metabolism.</p>
<p><b>Cancer:</b> Puerarin has demonstrated broad preclinical anticancer activity, including proliferation ↓, migration/invasion ↓, metastasis ↓, apoptosis ↑, and treatment sensitivity ↑. Reported mechanisms include modulation of NF-κB, ERK/MAPK, JAK2/STAT3, Wnt signaling, BAX/BCL-2 balance, caspases, MMPs, DUSP1, and drug-resistance pathways.</p>
<p><b>Alzheimer's Disease:</b> Puerarin has demonstrated neuroprotective activity in experimental Alzheimer's disease models. Reported effects include AChE activity ↓, COX-2 ↓, caspase-3 ↓, neuroinflammation ↓, oxidative stress ↓, neuronal apoptosis ↓, and antioxidant defenses ↑. Puerarin also supports synaptic plasticity through modulation of BDNF/TrkB, CREB, NMDA and AMPA receptor signaling, mitochondrial bioenergetics, long-term potentiation, and dendritic spine function.</p>