Apigenin

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Neuroinflammation¹ Cardiovascular risk^{2, 3}	Pregnancy or nursing⁴ Under 18 years of age⁴ Daisy family allergy⁴

Apigenin is a flavone found in fruits and vegetables, including parsley and celery, that exerts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects². Reviews of in vivo work link it to insomnia, depression, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. Other reviews cover cardiovascular protection and neuroinflammation.

Human research is limited to about three small studies, covering a urinary assay method, parsley intake and oxidative stress markers, and absorption and excretion in healthy men. Support for neuroinflammatory, lung injury, and diabetic kidney uses comes from preclinical models, and the reviews call for clinical studies^{1, 5, 6}. Dietary sources alone would require impractical intake to reach the concentrations tested in cell studies⁷. A 2026 systematic review of animal and cell studies found apigenin reduced proinflammatory cytokines and organ injury in sepsis models, with clinical trials still needed⁸. Products listing apigenin are mostly capsules, while tablets, solid dispersions, co-crystals, and nano formulations are also described; see Form comparison.

United States (US) product labels warn against use in pregnancy and nursing, and one label cautions people with allergies to the daisy family, which includes ragweed⁴. One US label singles out selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), hormones, and blood-thinning medications for physician consultation⁴.

Last updated October 17, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

40 sources, 22 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources