Bakuchiol is a meroterpenoid (a chemical compound having a partial terpenoid structure) in the class terpenophenol.[1]
It was first isolated in 1966 by Mehta et al. from Psoralea corylifolia seed and was called Bakuchiol based on the Sanskrit name of the plant, Bakuchi.[2] Bakuchiol is a meroterpene phenol abundant in[3] and mainly obtained from the seeds of the Psoralea corylifolia plant,[4][5][6] which is widely used in Indian Ayurveda[7] to treat a variety of diseases.[8] It has also been isolated from other plants, such as P. grandulosa,[9][10] P. drupaceae,[11]Ulmus davidiana,[12]Otholobium pubescens,[13]Piper longum[14] and Aerva sangulnolenta Blum.[15]
Even though the first complete synthesis of Bakuchiol was described in 1973,[16] its first commercial use in topical applications did not occur until 2007 when it was introduced to the market under the trade name Sytenol A by Sytheon Ltd.[17]
It has been reported to have anticancer activity in preclinical models, possibly due to its structural similarity with resveratrol.[18] One study in rats suggested that Bakuchiol and ethanol extracts of the Chinese medicinal plant Psoralea corylifolia could protect against bone loss.[19]
Bakuchiol possesses antioxidant,[20][21] anti-inflammatory (in mice),[22][23] and in vitro antibacterial [24] properties. Bakuchiol isolated from P. corylifolia has shown activity against numerous Gram-positive and Gram-negative oral pathogens. It was able to inhibit the growth of Streptococcus mutans under a range of sucrose concentrations, pH values and in the presence of organic acids in a temperature-dependent manner and also inhibited the growth of cells adhered to a glass surface.[25]
Despite having no structural resemblance to retinol,[26] Bakuchiol was found to have retinol functionality through retinol-like regulation of gene expression.[27][28] In 2018, a randomized, double-blind, 12-week clinical study with 44 volunteers demonstrated that Bakuchiol is comparable with retinol in its ability to improve photoaging (wrinkles, hyperpigmentation) but has a better skin tolerance.[29]
^Nadine Backhouse, C; Delporte, Carla L; Negrete, Rosa E; Erazo, Silvia; Zuñiga, Alexandra; Pinto, Alvaro; Cassels, Bruce K (November 2001). "Active constituents isolated from Psoralea glandulosa L. with antiinflammatory and antipyretic activities". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 78 (1): 27–31. doi:10.1016/s0378-8741(01)00309-9. ISSN0378-8741. PMID11585684.
^Lystvan, Kateryna; Belokurova, Valeria; Sheludko, Yuriy; Ingham, John L.; Prykhodko, Valeria; Kishchenko, Olena; Paton, Evgenija; Kuchuk, Mykola (2009-12-20). "Production of bakuchiol by in vitro systems of Psoralea drupacea Bge". Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture. 101 (1): 99–103. doi:10.1007/s11240-009-9657-0. ISSN0167-6857. S2CID10481048.
^Choi, Sang Yoon; Lee, Sanghyun; Choi, Won-Hee; Lee, Yeonmi; Jo, Youn Ock; Ha, Tae-Youl (August 2010). "Isolation and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Bakuchiol from Ulmus davidiana var. japonica". Journal of Medicinal Food. 13 (4): 1019–1023. doi:10.1089/jmf.2009.1207. ISSN1096-620X. PMID20553183.
^Chen, Zhe; Jin, Ke; Gao, Lingyan; et al. (2010). "Anti-tumor effects of bakuchiol, an analogue of resveratrol, on human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cell line". European Journal of Pharmacology. 643 (2–3): 170–9. doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2010.06.025. PMID20599920.
^Adhikari, S.; Joshi, R.; Patro, B. S.; Ghanty, T. K.; Chintalwar, G. J.; Sharma, A.; Chattopadhyay, S.; Mukherjee, T. (September 2003). "Antioxidant Activity of Bakuchiol: Experimental Evidences and Theoretical Treatments on the Possible Involvement of the Terpenoid Chain". Chemical Research in Toxicology. 16 (9): 1062–1069. doi:10.1021/tx034082r. ISSN0893-228X. PMID12971793.
^Ferrándiz, María Luisa; Gil, Blanca; Sanz, María Jesús; Ubeda, Amalia; Erazo, Silvia; González, Ernesto; Negrete, Rosa; Pacheco, Sergio; Payáa, Miguel (September 1996). "Effect of Bakuchiol on Leukocyte Functions and Some Inflammatory Responses in Mice". Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 48 (9): 975–980. doi:10.1111/j.2042-7158.1996.tb06016.x. ISSN0022-3573. PMID8910867. S2CID25409612.
^Nadine Backhouse, C; Delporte, Carla L; Negrete, Rosa E; Erazo, Silvia; Zuñiga, Alexandra; Pinto, Alvaro; Cassels, Bruce K (November 2001). "Active constituents isolated from Psoralea glandulosa L. with antiinflammatory and antipyretic activities". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 78 (1): 27–31. doi:10.1016/s0378-8741(01)00309-9. ISSN0378-8741. PMID11585684.
^Chaudhuri RK, Bojanowski K (2014). "Bakuchiol: a retinol-like functional compound revealed by gene expression profiling and clinically proven to have anti-aging effects". International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 36 (3): 221–230. doi:10.1111/ics.12117. PMID24471735. S2CID20823803.
^Miao L.; Ma S; Fan G; et al. (2013). "Bakuchiol inhibits the androgen induced-proliferation of prostate cancer cell line LNCaP through suppression of AR transcription activity". Tianjin Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 30 (5): 291–293. doi:10.11656/j.issn.1672-1519.2013.05.13. original title: 补骨脂酚拮抗AR转录活性抑制雄激素诱导的前列腺癌细胞LNCaP的增殖