Paeonol (PN)

Paeonol is a phenolic compound found in peony such as Paeonia suffruticosa (moutan cortex), in Arisaema erubescens or in Dioscorea japonica. It is a component found in many Traditional Chinese medicine remedies.

Paeonol increases levels of cortical cytochrome oxidase and vascular actin and improves behavior in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease. Paeonol also reduced cerebral infarction involving the superoxide anion and microglia activation in ischemia-reperfusion injured rats. It shows antimutagenic activities. It also has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in carrageenan-evoked thermal hyperalgesia. Paeonol inhibits anaphylactic reaction by regulating histamine and TNF-α. It has demonstrated significant MAOI activity. MAO-A and MAO-B inhibiting effects with IC50 values of 54.6 μM and 42.5 μM respectively.