Phytic Acid (Myo-Inositol Hexaphosphate)- A Promising Pharmaceutical Agent: A Review

Abstract

Phytic acid (myo-inositol hexaphosphate) has gained much attention among researchers for its therapeutic value. This review focuses on pharmacological activities of phytic acid, which have been demonstrated by pre-clinical studies. Anti-carcinogenic, antioxidant, antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, anti-angiogenic, and immunomodulation are the most extensively studied pharmacological activities of phytic acid. In addition to these, phytic acid and its derivatives also possess enzyme inhibitory activities against few key enzymes such as 5-alpha reductase, aldose reductase, cyclooxygenase, lipase, matrix metalloproteinase-2 & 9, pepsin, polyphenol oxidase, protease, β-secretase, tyrosinase, and xanthine oxidase were emphasized. The profound pharmacological activities of phytic acid have proven to be a good therapeutic agent and could be employed in preventing as well as treating such diseases.

Phytic acid and its interactions: Contributions to protein functionality, food processing, and safety

“…It can be added to juice, soybean oil, and meat products to prevent both autoxidation and hydrolysis, preventing product discoloration, maintaining food safety, and extending shelf-life (Silva & Bracarense, 2016). Furthermore, phytate exhibits strong antibacterial activities, inhibiting the growth of E. coli, Salmonella trphimrium, and others (Narayanaswamy & Esa, 2018). Regarding antioxidant properties, purified sodium phytate solution does not show 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activity but has certain ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP), despite not being as high as those of ascorbic acid, tocopherol, and butylated hydroxyl anisole.…”

“…It can be added to juice, soybean oil, and meat products to prevent both autoxidation and hydrolysis, preventing product discoloration, maintaining food safety, and extending shelf‐life (Silva & Bracarense, 2016). Furthermore, phytate exhibits strong antibacterial activities, inhibiting the growth of E. coli , Salmonella trphimrium , and others (Narayanaswamy & Esa, 2018).…”

Efficacy and Safety of Tracnil™ Administration in Patients with Dermatological Manifestations of PCOS: An Open-Label Single-Arm Study

“…Alternatively, there might have been localized fluctuations in androgen levels that go undetected. Myo-inositol derivative has been known to have an inhibitory action against 5-α reductase activity, thereby inhibiting the sensitization of receptors to androgen levels [2,16,38].…”

“…Inositol helps improve skin condition by reducing hyperandrogenism [12] or many other closely related mechanisms of action. Myo-inositol hexaphosphate (phytic acid) displays antimicrobial and antiinflammatory properties and is a potent inhibitor of 5-α reductase, COX-2, and lipase enzymes [13][14][15][16][17][18]. is study shows that a proprietary combination of myo-inositol with folic acid and vitamin D3 (as Tracnil ™ ) is highly effective in resolving acne in overweight women of menstruation age displaying normal hormone levels.…”

Development and characterization of pellets for targeted delivery of 5-fluorouracil and phytic acid for treatment of colon cancer in Wistar rat

“…The relative order of metal chelation with phytic acid at pH 7.4 was found to be Cu2þ>Zn2þ>Co2þ>Mn2þ>Fe2þ>Ca2þ (Reddy et al, 1982). Phytic acid supplementation is known to exhibit anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, therefore, metal chelates are of considerable interest to improve the anticancer activity of chemotherapeutic drugs in combination or alone (Narayanaswamy and Mohd, 2018). Accordingly, the present study focused on investigating the therapeutic potential of combination strategies (phytic acid with 5-FU) to treat cancer in xenograft animal model.…”