Limonoids are a class of oxygenated terpenoids that exist mainly in citrus fruits. As a kind of limonoid, obacunone has attracted more and more researchers' attention because of its extensive pharmacological activities. The purpose of the narrative review is to systematically review relevant studies on the pharmacological effects and pharmacokinetic characteristics of obacunone to provide researchers with the latest and useful information. Pharmacological studies have shown that obacunone has a variety of pharmacological activities, such as anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetes, neuroprotection, antibiosis, and antivirus. Among them, the anticancer effect is the most prominent. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that the oral bioavailability of obacunone is low. This indicates the presence of high first-pass metabolism. We hope that this paper can help relevant scholars understand the progress in pharmacological and pharmacokinetic research of obacunone and help the further development of obacunone as a functional food.
Keywords: Limonoid; Obacunone; Pharmacokinetics; Pharmacology.
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