farrerol

Farrerol is a naturally occurring flavanone (a type of flavonoid) isolated from the dried leaves of *Rhododendron dauricum* L. (traditionally known as 'Man-shan-hong' in Chinese medicine). It has been historically used in China as an expectorant and antitussive agent for the treatment of chronic bronchitis and asthma. Beyond its traditional respiratory applications, farrerol exhibits a wide range of pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, vasoactive, and antitumor activities. Mechanistically, farrerol acts as a direct activator of the deubiquitinase UCHL3, which promotes RAD51 deubiquitination and enhances homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair. It also directly inhibits protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 1 (PTPN1), alleviating insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis in metabolic models. In oncology, farrerol acts as an estrogen receptor antagonist, inhibiting the proliferation of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells, and binds to VEGFA and VEGFR2 (KDR) to suppress colorectal cancer cell growth. Additionally, farrerol activates the Nrf2/ARE antioxidant pathway by targeting GSK-3β and Keap1, protecting against oxidative stress, ferroptosis, and tissue injury in models of diabetic cardiomyopathy, acute kidney injury, and acute lung injury.

Other names

(-)-farreroldujuansu杜鹃素法尔杜鹃素