Astragalin

Pharmacology & Research

Astragalin is kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, a widespread dietary flavonol glycoside — cross-link its aglycone kaempferol and the analogous glycoside-prodrug rutin. Two framing points. First, despite the name it is unrelated to Astragalus and its saponins (astragaloside IV) — the name is botanical, from the genus where it was first found, not chemical. Second, much of its reported activity is really kaempferol’s, since the glucoside is hydrolysed to the aglycone in the gut. Its own evidence is a scattered, single-lab preclinical set — the most consistent isolate signal being anti-inflammatory/anti-allergic — with no human trials.

1. Anti-inflammatory / anti-allergic

Isolated astragalin reduced airway inflammation, eosinophil/eotaxin-1 induction and epithelial apoptosis in ovalbumin-challenged mice — acting through NF-κB restraint and oxidative-stress-responsive MAPK modulation ^{1,2Reference 12017AnimalAstragalin inhibits allergic inflammation and airway thickening in ovalbumin-challenged miceView study →Reference 22014Astragalin inhibits airway eotaxin-1 induction and epithelial apoptosis through modulating oxidative-stress-responsive MAPK signallingView study →} — and separately protected keratinocytes and mouse skin against UVB photodamage ^{7Reference 72026AnimalProtective effects of astragalin against acute ultraviolet-B-induced photodamage in HaCaT cells and mouse skinView study →}.

Gap: all rodent/cell, with no human data, and the allergic-airway benefit shown only prophylactically in a single model system ^{1,2Reference 12017AnimalAstragalin inhibits allergic inflammation and airway thickening in ovalbumin-challenged miceView study →Reference 22014Astragalin inhibits airway eotaxin-1 induction and epithelial apoptosis through modulating oxidative-stress-responsive MAPK signallingView study →}.

2. Antioxidant / Nrf2

Astragalin promoted Nrf2 nuclear translocation and raised antioxidant defences, reducing testicular ferroptosis ^{6Reference 62024Astragalin alleviates oligoasthenospermia via promoting nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and reducing ferroptosis of the testisView study →} and cisplatin-induced renal oxidative injury ^{5Reference 52025Pharmacotherapeutic potentials of astragalin against cisplatin-induced renal toxicity via regulating the Nrf2/Keap1 pathwayView study →}.

Gap: narrow organ-protection models, and the effect is the generic flavonol antioxidant/Nrf2 response rather than distinctively astragalin ^{5,6Reference 52025Pharmacotherapeutic potentials of astragalin against cisplatin-induced renal toxicity via regulating the Nrf2/Keap1 pathwayView study →Reference 62024Astragalin alleviates oligoasthenospermia via promoting nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and reducing ferroptosis of the testisView study →}.

3. Neuroprotective

Astragalin reduced neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in an AlCl₃/D-galactose aging model ^{4Reference 42022Astragalin attenuates AlCl₃/D-galactose-induced aging-like disorders by inhibiting oxidative stress and neuroinflammationView study →}, and modulated astrocyte autophagy/apoptosis (Fas/FasL–VDAC1) in an Alzheimer’s mouse model ^{3Reference 32025AnimalAstragalin activates autophagy and inhibits apoptosis of astrocytes in AD mice via downregulating the Fas/FasL–VDAC1 pathwayView study →}.

Gap: a small, mechanistically heterogeneous preclinical set with no cross-lab replication, and poor CNS delivery expected for a glucoside ^{3,4Reference 32025AnimalAstragalin activates autophagy and inhibits apoptosis of astrocytes in AD mice via downregulating the Fas/FasL–VDAC1 pathwayView study →Reference 42022Astragalin attenuates AlCl₃/D-galactose-induced aging-like disorders by inhibiting oxidative stress and neuroinflammationView study →}.

Mechanisms

Target / pathway	Effect	Relevant to
NF-κB signalling	suppressed → ↓ cytokines/eotaxin-1	anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic airway
MAPK cascade (oxidative-stress-responsive)	modulated → ↓ epithelial apoptosis	allergic airway
Nrf2 / Keap1 axis	Nrf2 translocation → ↑ antioxidant/anti-ferroptotic defence	antioxidant, renal/gonadal cytoprotection
Autophagy / apoptosis (Fas–FasL–VDAC1)	pro-autophagic, anti-apoptotic in astrocytes	neuroprotection (AD model)

Only pathways with direct astragalin-isolate support are listed; the α-glucosidase/anti-AGE activity is class-level only ^{8Reference 82025Analysis of the therapeutic potential of astragalin: insights into target interactions and mechanismsView study →}.

Pharmacokinetics

There is no dedicated human pharmacokinetic study of the isolate. As a flavonol 3-O-glucoside, astragalin behaves like its class: modest oral absorption of the intact glycoside, with substantial gut-microbial and brush-border (lactase-phlorizin hydrolase) hydrolysis releasing the aglycone kaempferol, which is then rapidly conjugated (glucuronidation/sulfation). The net effect is low, non-sustained systemic exposure to the intact parent, with circulating material dominated by kaempferol conjugates — so most in-vivo activity attributed to dietary astragalin should be read as kaempferol-equivalent exposure (see kaempferol) ^{8Reference 82025Analysis of the therapeutic potential of astragalin: insights into target interactions and mechanismsView study →}.

Clinical trials

There are no randomised or open-label human trials of isolated astragalin for any indication. Human relevance is limited to dietary intake as one of many flavonol glycosides in persimmon leaf, green tea, nettle and numerous other plants.

Last checked: July 2026.

Toxicity & Safety

Astragalin is a widespread dietary flavonol glycoside consumed routinely in teas and leafy plants with no signal of dietary harm, and preclinical studies use it as a protective agent — so the [low] flag is appropriate. No isolate toxicology, genotoxicity or human safety dataset exists; cautions are theoretical and generic to concentrated polyphenol supplements (possible additive effects with antiplatelet/anticoagulant use, and the general uncertainty of taking any isolated flavonoid at supraphysiologic doses without human data).

Pregnancy & lactation

Dietary amounts fine; avoid isolated supplements. Astragalin as naturally present in foods, teas and herbs is considered fine, but an isolated/concentrated supplement should be avoided in pregnancy and lactation — there are no human or reproductive-safety data for the isolate.

Dosage

There is no efficacy dose established (no human trials) and no standard supplemental dose — astragalin is obtained incidentally through diet and herbal preparations rather than dosed on its own, and any oral efficacy target is undermined by its hydrolysis to kaempferol, so a meaningful “astragalin dose” cannot honestly be stated.

References