描述
Butein, also known as 2',3,4,4'-tetrahydroxychalcone, is a member of the class of compounds known as 2'-hydroxychalcones. 2'-hydroxychalcones are organic compounds containing chalcone skeleton that carries a hydroxyl group at the 2'-position. Thus, butein is considered to be a flavonoid lipid molecule. Butein is practically insoluble (in water) and a very weakly acidic compound (based on its pKa). Butein is a bitter tasting compound found in broad bean, which makes butein a potential biomarker for the consumption of this food product. Butein is a chalcone of the chalconoids. It can be found in Toxicodendron vernicifluum (or formerly Rhus verniciflua), Dahlia, Butea (Butea monosperma) and Coreopsis It has antioxidative, aldose reductase and advanced glycation endproducts inhibitory effects. It is also a sirtuin-activating compound, a chemical compound having an effect on sirtuins, a group of enzymes that use NAD+ to remove acetyl groups from proteins. It turned out that buteins possess a high ability to inhibit aromatase process in the human body, for this reason, the use of these compounds in the treatment of breast cancer on the estrogen ground has been taken into account. The first attempts of sport pro-hormone supplementation with the use of buteins took place in Poland .