Flavonoids in Medicine and Food Homology Substances: Structure–Activity Relationship, Application Challenges, and Cutting-Edge Technological Breakthroughs

Flavonoids, as natural and safe bioactive compounds, demonstrate significant potential in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and antitumor activities. Medicine and food homology substances constitute a vast treasure trove of flavonoids, characterized by high activity and high content. Their biological effects are closely linked to chemical features like hydroxyl group position, substituent type, and glycosylation degree. However, in practical applications, flavonoids in medicine and food homology substances still face bottlenecks, such as difficult separation and purification, challenging quality control, poor solubility, and low bioavailability. Current strategies include advanced extraction techniques (e.g., ultrasound/microwave-assisted, supercritical CO2). Quality control is achieved through establishing GAP bases, integrating data on the origins of Medicine and food homology substances, employing UHPLC-MS, and constructing fingerprint spectra. Enhancing solubility through structural modifications such as glycosylation. Utilizing nanodelivery systems such as lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, and microencapsulation technology to enhance bioavailability. Future research on flavonoids in medicine and food homology substances will integrate artificial intelligence (for activity prediction and formulation optimization), synthetic biology (for targeted flavonoid synthesis), and materials science (for designing novel delivery materials), advancing their applications in precision nutrition and personalized medicine. Provide a reference for fundamental research and applied development of flavonoids in medicine and food homology substances.