Pinostrobin chalcone, a chalcone analog isolated from the leguminous plant, Mucuna pruriens, exhibits anticancer activity with an IC50 value of 20.42±2.23 μg/mL against MDA-MB-231 and 22.51±0.42 μg/mL against the HT-29 colon cancer cell line.

Pinostrobin chalcone (30 μM; 3T3-L1 cells) was a more potent inhibitor of triglyceride accumulation than the positive control berberine. Gene expression studies revealed that treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with Pinostrobin chalcone lowers the expression levels of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α± and peroxisome proliferator activator γ2 during adipogenesis without affecting cell viability. Treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with Pinostrobin chalcone reduced the expression levels of mRNAs encoding sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c and several lipogenic enzymes, including fatty acid synthase and stearoyl CoA desaturase-1.[1]