Myricetin as a Multifunctional Flavonol: Biosynthesis, Molecular Pharmacology, Translational Challenges, and Clinical Prospects – A Systematic Review
Ajay Kumar VermaIntroduction:
Myricetin is a hexahydroxylated flavonoid present in fruits, vegetables, tea, and medicinal plants. It is known for its multi-target pharmacological potential in the treatment of chronic disease.
Methods:
This systematic review, using the PRISMA 2020 principles, searched Pub- Med/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar from their creation to May 2026. The eligible peer-reviewed research on myricetin was comprehensively assessed as per the defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and 79 studies were qualitatively synthesised.
Results:
Myricetin biosynthesised via the phenylpropanoid-flavonoid route exhibits antioxidant, anti- inflammatory, antidiabetic, anticancer, and neuroprotective activities by modulating the PI3K/Akt, MAPK, NF-κB, AMPK, and JAK/STAT pathways. However, its therapeutic use is limited due to its poor aqueous solubility, low oral bioavailability, rapid metabolism, and insufficient human data. Novel approaches such as nanosuspensions, glycosylated derivatives, and nanocarrier systems may improve its pharmacokinetic properties.
Discussion:
The present data demonstrate that myricetin exhibits pleiotropic therapeutic effects through the coordinated regulation of multiple molecular pathways. While clinical evidence for quercetin is more extensive and other flavonoids exhibit complementary pharmacological activities, comparisons with structurally related flavonoids suggest that myricetin has a broad multitarget mechanistic profile. However, methodological heterogeneity and the limited clinical evidence preclude a definitive assessment of its therapeutic potential.
Conclusion:
This review offers an integrative and critical synthesis that relates biosynthesis, structure- activity correlations, molecular pharmacology, comparative flavonoid biology, and translational findings within a single framework. It further highlights mechanistic convergence, evidence gaps, and research priorities relevant to the rational development of myricetin as a potential lead compound for future therapeutic applications.