Flavokavain B

Flavokavain B is a flavokavain found in the kava plant.^[1]

Flavokavain B

Names
Preferred IUPAC name 2′-Hydroxy-4′,6′-dimethoxychalcone
Other names Flavokawain B
Identifiers
CAS Number	1775-97-9 Y
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
Beilstein Reference	2059845
ChEBI	CHEBI:65899
ChEMBL	ChEMBL104255
ChemSpider	4511912
PubChem CID	5356121
UNII	R9WC6SM4UQ Y
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID601028794
InChI InChI=1S/C17H16O4/c1-20-13-10-15(19)17(16(11-13)21-2)14(18)9-8-12-6-4-3-5-7-12/h3-11,19H,1-2H3/b9-8+ Key: QKQLSQLKXBHUSO-CMDGGOBGSA-N
SMILES O=C(C2=C(O)C=C(OC)C=C2OC)/C=C/C1=CC=CC=C1
Properties
Chemical formula	C17H16O4
Molar mass	284.311 g·mol−1
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Y verify (what is YN ?) Infobox references

A systematic review of studies on kava found evidence that its bioactive compounds, particularly flavokavain B, exert antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effects across multiple cancer models, highlighting its potential chemotherapeutic use especially for epithelial cancers, though research on oral squamous cell carcinoma remains scarce.^[2]

It is a potent liver toxin that causes cell death by inducing oxidative stress and disrupting key cellular signaling pathways, but its harmful effects can be reversed by glutathione supplementation.^[3] Studies show that flavokavain B is present at much higher levels in “Two-Day” kava cultivars like Palisi compared to noble varieties, but current evidence does not conclusively prove it is responsible for kava-related liver toxicity in humans.^[4]

See also

• Kavalactone