Phytochemicals: a Natural Prospect Toward Healthcare—a Tryst with Karanjin

The majority of the world's population still relies on plant-based products as therapeutic agents to enhance health. Flavonoids are an important class of phytochemicals and possess a diverse spectrum of biological and pharmacological actions. Karanjin is a characteristic member of the furanoflavonoid family of compounds. It is the most abundant bioactive compound present in Karanj (Pongamia pinnata L.) seed oil. Karanjin has a diverse set of biological effects characterized both in vitro and in vivo. Its antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-ulcer, anti-colitis, and anti-inflammatory properties have sparked speculation regarding its potential use in healthcare applications. Recent reports of its cell-cycle inhibitory, anti-proliferative, and pro-apoptotic effects envisage the anticancer potential of Karanjin. However, its flavonoid structure and comprehensive genomic data suggest an estrogen (E2)-like effect, which creates a lacuna in its anticancer potential. Moreover, enrichment of the E2 signaling pathway, E2 regulated genes, and cell-cycle progression in estrogen receptors (ER) positive breast cancer cells proposes Karanjin as a novel E2-like compound and portrays its proliferative potential. The present review, while exposing a caveat to the anticancer potential of Karanjin, will inspire further investigations into the possible use of Karanjin or its derivatives in endocrine or combination therapies. Karanjin displays concentration dependent effect similar to other flavonoids. Whether Karanjin's E2-like or anticancer potential will render it more useful in endocrine therapy or chemotherapy remains to be explored, and further extensive research on the mechanism of action is warranted.