Apigenin

Apigenin is a plant flavone found in parsley, celery, chamomile and dried oregano. In a 2013 Diabetes paper, Escande and colleagues identified apigenin as an inhibitor of the NAD+-consuming ectoenzyme CD38; oral apigenin in obese mice raised tissue NAD+ levels and improved glucose and lipid handling, which prompted its promotion as an NAD+-boosting supplement. Human data are very limited: bioavailability after oral intake is low, plasma half-life short and no adequately powered randomised trial has demonstrated metabolic or longevity-relevant endpoints. Apigenin from typical food intake is unlikely to reach the doses used in rodent studies. There is no EU-authorised health claim for apigenin.