Nevadensin is an important herb-based constituent inhibiting estragole bioactivation. Nevadensin protects against a methyleugenol-induced marker of hepatocarcinogenicity in male F344 rat. It also exhibits inhibition activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with equal MIC value of 200 microg/mL.

The alkenylbenzene methyleugenol occurs naturally in a variety of spices and herbs, including basil, and their essential oils. At high dose levels methyleugenol induces hepatocarcinogenicity in rodents following bioactivation to 1'-sulfooxymethyleugenol which forms DNA adducts. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study investigated whether the inhibitory effect of the basil flavonoid Nevadensin on sulfotransferase (SULT)-mediated bioactivation of methyleugenol observed in vitro would also be reflected in a reduction of DNA adduct formation and a reduction in an early marker for liver carcinogenesis in an 8-week rat study. Co-exposure to methyleugenol and Nevadensin orally resulted in a significant inhibition of liver methyleugenol DNA adduct formation and in inhibition of hepatocellular altered foci induction, representing indicators for initiation of neoplasia. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that tumor formation could be lower in rodent bioassays when methyleugenol would be dosed in a matrix containing SULT inhibitors such as Nevadensin compared to experiments using the pure methyleugenol.