Ampelopsin, also known as dihydromyricetin and DHM, when used as an herbal medicine, is a
flavanonol, a type of flavonoid. It is extracted from the Japanese raisin tree and found in ''
Ampelopsis'' species ''japonica'', ''megalophylla'', and ''grossedentata''; ''
Cercidiphyllum japonicum
''Cercidiphyllum japonicum'', known as the Katsura (from its Japanese name カツラ, 桂), is a species of flowering tree in the family Cercidiphyllaceae native to China and Japan. It is sometimes called ''caramel tree'' for the light caramel sm ...
''; ''
Hovenia dulcis''; ''
Rhododendron cinnabarinum''; some ''
Pinus
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae.
''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as c ...
'' species; and some ''
Cedrus
''Cedrus'', with the common English name cedar, is a genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae (subfamily Abietoideae). They are native to the mountains of the western Himalayas and the Mediterranean region, occurring at altitud ...
'' species,
as well as in ''
Salix sachalinensis''.
''
Hovenia dulcis'' has been used in traditional
Japanese,
Chinese, and
Korean medicines to treat fever, parasitic infection, as a laxative, and a treatment of liver diseases, and as a
hangover
A hangover is the experience of various unpleasant physiological and psychological effects usually following the consumption of alcohol (beverage), alcohol, such as wine, beer, and liquor. Hangovers can last for several hours or for more than ...
treatment.
Methods have been developed to extract ampelopsin on a larger scale, and laboratory research has been conducted with the compound to see if it might be useful as a drug in any of the conditions for which the parent plant has been traditionally used.
Research
Research suggests that DHM protects against
DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by inhibiting
NLRP3
NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) (previously known as NACHT, LRR, and PYD domains-containing protein 3 ALP3and cryopyrin), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''NLRP3'' gene located on the long arm of chromosome 1.
NLRP ...
inflammasome activation via stimulation of the
SIRT1 pathway.
In a trial of 60 patients with "
nonalcoholic fatty liver disease," dihydromyricetin improved glucose and lipid metabolism and yielded potentially beneficial anti-inflammatory effects.
A study of rats demonstrated pharmacological properties of DHM which suggest it would be a therapeutic candidate to treat
alcohol use disorders
Alcoholism is the continued Alcoholic beverage, drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of Substance dependence, dependence and Drug withdrawal, withdrawal. Problematic use of alco ...
.
Additional research is required before claims of human efficacy and application, necessary dosage, and solutions to poor bioavailability, are met with scientific validation.
Purported benefits
Ampelopsin has been claimed to possess various health, wellness, and
cosmetic benefits, including:
*Anti-Alcohol Intoxication: DHM is widely used in hangover remedies due to its claimed ability to accelerate alcohol breakdown in the liver and mitigate alcohol-induced damage.
However, a pharmacokinetic study found no effect of DHM on alcohol metabolism.
*Cosmetic Applications: DHM is used in skincare products for its purported ability to protect skin from UV-induced damage and aging.
References
{{GABAAR PAMs
Flavanonols
Pyrogallols
Resorcinols
GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators