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Amentoflavone

What is Amentoflavone?

Amentoflavone is a plant alkaloid that occurs naturally in a number of different plants including Gingko biloba and St. John's wort. Initial research has shown that this naturally occurring chemical has a number of potential health and disease treatment benefits. It also has a number of benefits for exercisers and Amentoflavone has therefore attracted the attention of athletes, trainers and supplement manufacturers. Currently, this ingredient is mainly found in fat burners and pre-workout products.

Where does Amentoflavone come from?

Amentoflavone is found in many plants, of which ginkgo and St. John's wort are probably the best known. However, it can also be extracted in large quantities from Selaginella tamariscina. A proprietary plant extract called AmentoMAX, derived from this moss-related plant, contains 20% amentoflavones.

Benefits of Amentoflavone

Amentoflavone is an alkaloid with a wide variety of benefits that first caught the attention of the scientific community when it was discovered that this alkaloid has anti-inflammatory properties (1). Further research indicates that amentoflavone has antiviral effects (2) and it has also been shown to inhibit different types of cancer through a number of different pathways (3, 4). One of these pathways involves the inhibition of an enzyme-based protein called fatty acid synthase. Inhibition of fatty acid synthase not only inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells, but also prevents the replication of some viruses. In addition, such inhibition may prevent the storage of energy in the form of body fat (5) and there is some evidence that amentoflavone may also increase the rate of lipolysis and thus increase fat loss (6).

Amentoflavone is also a vasodilator, which relaxes blood vessels to allow greater blood flow (7). It may also increase the strength of muscle contractions by increasing the release of calcium from muscle cells (8).

Due to its interaction with GABA and the adrenal receptors, Amentoflavone can improve mood and relieve anxiety while acting as a natural stimulant of the central nervous system (10).

The benefits of Amentoflavone for bodybuilders

Many of the actions of this naturally occurring substance are very beneficial for bodybuilders and athletes. This is most evident in the performance-enhancing effects of amentoflavones. Increased calcium release is equally significant with increased contractile strength and the ability to move heavier weights, while the circulatory effects promise a real killer pump. In addition to this, the mood enhancing effects make Amentoflavone a perfect addition to any pre-workout supplement.

The fact that Amentoflavone not only prevents fat storage but also increases fat loss makes it a perfect ingredient for any fat burner. The mood-boosting effects of this supplement can also help to alleviate the negative feelings that can be associated with reduced calorie intake.

Amentoflavone side effects, safety and disadvantages

At first glance, Amentoflavone appears to be something of a miracle ingredient. This could well be true, but at this stage we cannot say anything with certainty as most of the research into the effects of this plant alkaloid to date has been carried out on animals or cell cultures and there are no conclusive human studies as yet.

There is also a very high potential for interactions between amentoflavones and other active ingredients or drugs. This is because amentoflavone inhibits enzymes that belong to the cytochrome P450 family of enzymes and are responsible for about 75% of the metabolism of active drug ingredients in the body (10). This means that if you are taking any medication, you should consult your doctor before supplementing with amentoflavones or plant extracts containing this ingredient.

Amentoflavone dosage & timing

Amentoflavone is a supplement with acute and cumulative effects that is often taken pre-workout to reap the short-term benefits in terms of strength, mood and blood flow. When used to support fat loss, a common regimen is to take one dose first thing in the morning and a second dose in the afternoon.

There is no consensus yet on the dosage of Amentoflavone and individual dosages range from less than 100 mg to 1000 mg per day. Most people start with a single dose of 200 mg and increase this dosage until the desired effect is achieved. A common dosage is 400 mg of amentoflavones before training.

Amentoflavone supplements

Amentoflavones are being included in more and more supplement formulas. Supplements containing gingko biloba or St. John's wort will also contain a certain amount of amentoflavones.

Possible combinations of Amentoflavone with other supplements

Amentoflavone combines well with other pre-workout and fat loss ingredients. Scientists know that this alkaloid mobilizes and burns fat in a different way than L-carnitine, so combining these two ingredients could maximize fat-burning potential.

On the other hand, there may be some overlap in the effects of caffeine and amentoflavones. A better option for a pre-workout stimulant kick would be a natural amine alkaloid such as N-methyltyramine, higenamine or synephrine.

References

  1. Kim HK, Son KH, Chang HW, Kang SS, Kim HP. Amentoflavone, a plant biflavone: a new potential anti-inflammatory agent. Arch Pharm Res. 1998 Aug; 21(4):406-10.
  2. Birt DF, Widrlechner MP, Hammer KD, Hillwig ML, Wei J, Kraus GA, Murphy PA, McCoy J, Wurtele ES, Neighbors JD, Wiemer DF, Maury WJ, Price JP. Hypericum in infection: Identification of anti-viral and anti-inflammatory constituents. Pharm Biol. 2009;47(8):774-782.
  3. Tarallo V, Lepore L, Marcellini M, Dal Piaz F, Tudisco L, Ponticelli S, Lund FW, Roepstorff P, Orlandi A, Pisano C, De Tommasi N, De Falco S. The biflavonoid amentoflavone inhibits neovascularization preventing the activity of proangiogenic vascular endothelial growth factors. J Biol Chem. 2011 Jun 3;286(22):19641-51.
  4. Lee S, Kim H, Kang JW, Kim JH, Lee DH, Kim MS, Yang Y, Woo ER, Kim YM, Hong J, Yoon DY. The biflavonoid amentoflavone induces apoptosis via suppressing E7 expression, cell cycle arrest at sub-G₁ phase, and mitochondria-emanated intrinsic pathways in human cervical cancer cells. J Med Food. 2011 Jul-Aug;14(7-8):808-16.
  5. Lee JS, Lee MS, Oh WK, Sul JY. Fatty acid synthase inhibition by amentoflavone induces apoptosis and antiproliferation in human breast cancer cells. Biol Pharm Bull. 2009 Aug;32(8):1427-32.
  6. Dell'Agli M, Bosisio E. Biflavones of Ginkgo biloba stimulate lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Planta Med. 2002 Jan;68(1):76-9.
  7. Kang DG, Yin MH, Oh H, Lee DH, Lee HS. Vasorelaxation by amentoflavone isolated from Selaginella tamariscina. Planta Med. 2004 Aug;70(8):718-22.
  8. Suzuki A, Matsunaga K, Mimaki Y, Sashida Y, Ohizumi Y. Properties of amentoflavone, a potent caffeine-like Ca2+ releaser in skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum. Eur J Pharmacol. 1999 May 7;372(1):97-102.
  9. Ishola IO, Chatterjee M, Tota S, Tadigopulla N, Adeyemi OO, Palit G, Shukla R. Antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of amentoflavone isolated from Cnestis ferruginea in mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2012 Dec;103(2):322-31. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2012.08.017. Epub 2012 Aug 24.
  10. von Moltke LL, Weemhoff JL, Bedir E, Khan IA, Harmatz JS, Goldman P, Greenblatt DJ.Inhibition of human cytochromes P450 by components of Ginkgo biloba.J Pharm Pharmacol. 2004 Aug;56(8):1039-44.