Table 3.
Partial list of natural products (mostly from plants) that have been reported to activate AMPK in intact cells or in vivo. Although a single source species is usually listed, most of the compounds are probably also produced by related species.
| Natural product | Source | Mechanism | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| arctigenin | Arctium lappa | inhibits Complex I | (61; 156) |
| berberine | Berberis spp., other plants | inhibits Complex I | (54; 99) |
| galegine | Galega officinalis | inhibits Complex I | (120) |
| quercetin | many plants | inhibits Complex I | (54) |
| resveratrol | grapes, red wine | inhibits F1 ATPase | (6; 54) |
| salicylate | Salix alba (willow), other plants | binds to AMPK β subunit | (52) |
| 2-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5-(E)-propenylbenzofuran | Krameria lappacea | ? | (92) |
| 2-methyl-7-hydroxymethyl-1,4-naphthoquinone | Pyrola rotundifolia | ? | (136) |
| alternol | Alternaria alternata | ? | (182) |
| anthocyanin fraction | Purple sweet potato | ? | (65) |
| apigenin | Matricaria chamomilla | ? | (130; 160) |
| aspalathin | Aspalathus linearis | ? | (153) |
| caffeic acid | white grapes, coffee, other plants | ? | (101; 163) |
| celastrol | many plants | ? | (84) |
| chrysin | Passiflora caerulea | ? | (150) |
| cucurbitane triterpenoids | Siraitia grosvenorii | ? | (19) |
| curcumin | Curcuma longa | ? | |
| emodin | Rheum emodi | ? | (21; 164) |
| epigallocatechin gallate | Camellia sinensis | ? | (17) |
| ethanol extract | Vitis thunbergii | ? | (132) |
| ethanol extract | Malva verticillata | ? | (72) |
| fargesin | Magnolia spp. | ? | (98) |
| foenumoside B | Lysimachia foenum-graecum | ? | (149) |
| geraniol | rose/palmarosa/citronella oils | ? | (86) |
| GGEx18 (traditional Korean medicine) | Laminaria japonica/Rheum palmatum/Ephedra sinica | ? | (151) |
| ginsenosides | Panax ginseng | ? | (80; 139; 184) |
| glabridin | Glycyrrhiza glabra | ? | (94) |
| green tea extract | Camellia sinensis | ? | (5; 60) |
| hispidulin | Saussurea involucrate | ? | (103; 178) |
| honokiol | Magnolia grandiflora | ? | (76) |
| Jinqi formula | Coptidis rhizome/Astragali rhadix/Lonicerae japonicae | ? | (138) |
| Karanjin | Pongamia pinnata | ? | (69) |
| lindenenyl acetate | Lindera strychnifolia | ? | (70) |
| mangiferin | Iris unguicularis | ? | (125) |
| methyl cinnamate | Zanthoxylum armatum | ? | (20) |
| naringin | Citrus x paradisi | ? | (137) |
| octaphlorethol A | Ishige foliacea (a brown alga) | ? | (96) |
| osthole | Cnidium monnieri | ? | (97) |
| plant extract | Scutellaria baicalensis | ? | (154) |
| plant extract | Boesenbergia pandurata | ? | (81) |
| pomolic acid | Chrysobalanus icaco | ? | (183) |
| pterostilbene | grapes, other fruits | ? | (102) |
| ReishiMax | Ganoderma lucidum | ? | (159) |
| Rhizochalin (aglycone) | Rhizochalina incrustata (a sponge) | ? | (79) |
| S-methylmethionine sulfonium chloride | many plants | ? | (95) |
| salidroside | Rhodiola rosea | ? | (104) |
| tangeretin | Citrus tangerine (tangerine) | ? | (85) |
| tanshinone IIA | Salvia miltiorrhiza | ? | (64) |
| tiliroside | rose hips, strawberry, raspberry | ? | (41) |
| ursolic acid | Mirabilis jalapa, other plants | ? | (186) |
| xanthigen | Punica granatum | ? | (93) |