Apigenin

Apigenin is the flavone aglycone 4',5,7-trihydroxyflavone, systematically 5,7-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4H-chromen-4-one, with the formula C15H10O5 and a molecular weight of 270.24 (PubChem CID 5280443, CAS 520-36-5). In plants it sits almost entirely in bound form as glycosides: apiin, the 7-O-apiosylglucoside characteristic of parsley and celery, apigetrin the 7-O-glucoside, and the C-glycosides vitexin and isovitexin. The free aglycone that buyers specify is liberated by hydrolysis of those glycosides and then purified. Chamomile flower (Matricaria chamomilla) is the classic feedstock, with apigenin reported as around 68% of the flower's total flavonoids, while parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is the densest source by weight, reported at roughly 215 mg per 100 g fresh and 4,504 mg per 100 g dried. The purified material is a light yellow to yellow crystalline powder with a very high melting point, reported at 345 to 350 C by the Merck Index and 347.5 C elsewhere. It is soluble in ethanol and pyridine, moderately soluble in hot alcohol, very soluble in dilute alkalies, and dissolves in dilute potassium hydroxide with an intense yellow colour; it is practically insoluble in water. Two practical consequences follow. First, aqueous and beverage formats need micronised, solubilised or co-processed grades rather than the neat crystal. Second, the same chromophore that makes it a historic wool dye will tint a white tablet or capsule shell, so overage of titanium-free opacifiers or a coloured shell is often the simpler answer. Apigenin is typically formulated into evening-positioned and general antioxidant supplement blends, and into topical cosmetic bases. The allergen position is the commercially decisive detail. Celery is one of the fourteen EU-declarable allergens and is also a natural apigenin source, so feedstock identity is not a trivia question. Thovek's material is chamomile- or parsley-derived, not celery-derived, and therefore carries no celery declaration; buyers formulating for the EU or UK should nonetheless confirm the stated botanical source and part on the CoA for each lot before finalising label copy. Chamomile is an Asteraceae plant, and individuals sensitised to Asteraceae or ragweed pollen are a recognised consideration for chamomile-derived botanicals, which some brands choose to flag voluntarily. The powder is vegan, vegetarian, non-GMO and free of milk, egg, soy, fish, crustacean, gluten and tree nut. Documentation includes CoA with HPLC chromatogram, MSDS, allergen, GMO and BSE/TSE statements, heavy metals, pesticide residue, residual solvent and microbiology data. Thovek makes no therapeutic or disease claim for apigenin; claim substantiation and confirmation of regulatory status, including novel food status for isolated flavonoids in some markets, rest with the brand owner.