Safrole

Animal

Phenylpropanoid (allylbenzene derivative)

Mechanism of Action

Metabolized by CYP1A2 and CYP2C9 to 1'-hydroxysafrole, which is further sulfated to form a reactive electrophilic metabolite that binds DNA and forms adducts; inhibits CYP enzymes at higher concentrations; the unmetabolized compound has mild CNS stimulant properties

Research Notes

SassafrasWestern

Safrole has been classified as a Group 2B carcinogen (possibly carcinogenic to humans) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Animal studies in rats and mice demonstrate hepatocellular carcinoma with chronic high-dose exposure. The FDA banned safrole as a food additive in 1960. Human epidemiological data for carcinogenicity is lacking, and the relevance of high-dose animal studies to traditional low-dose human use remains debated among toxicologists and herbalists.

Found In 1 Herb

Sassafras

Western

3D Molecular Structure

Phenylpropanoid (allylbenzene derivative)

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Safrole

Phenylpropanoid (allylbenzene derivative)Bioactive phytochemical with therapeutic properties

Representative pattern: C₇H₆O₃

Atoms

Carbon

Oxygen

Hydrogen

Live Research

Open on PubMed

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