Traversing the Vivid Pharmacological and Nanotechnological Facets of Genistein: Insights into the Past, Present and Future Trends

The environment has endowed us with herbal remedies, which have a huge potential for alleviating human illnesses with minimal adverse effects. Genistein is one of isoflavones that possess a broad array of therapeutic roles to treat several medical disorders like postmenopausal vasomotor symptoms, antidiabetic, cardioprotective, antidepression, antianxiety, anticancer, antioxidant, antiobesity, and anti-osteoporosis effects. Genistein has the ability to control the cancer growth by transforming cell cycle and cell death signaling pathways, nuclear factor-B kinase signal transduction, and androgen-mediated and protein tyrosine kinase-mediated signaling. Genistein has the capability to augment cell proliferation and survival through the cyclic adenosine monophosphate and protein kinase pathway to produce antidiabetic activity. Genistein acts as an antioxidant by upregulating glutathione and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate dehydrogenase. Its antihypertensive activity are produced by ERK1/2, phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Akt, and AMP/protein kinase-A signaling pathways which cause phosphorylation of nitric oxide synthases and enzyme activation. Genistein’s antidepressant effects are attributed to an increase in connexin-43 expression and a decrease in miR-221/222 expression. The physiochemical properties and pharmacokinetic profile of Genistein have been highlighted in the current review work. This article elucidates brief review of the pharmacological applications and molecular pathways of Genistein for the treatment of numerous clinical conditions, including postmenopausal vasomotor symptoms, antidiabetic, anticancer, antioxidant, antiobesity, cardioprotective, antidepression, antianxiety and antiosteoporosis. The current review article’s objective is to provide readers with an updated understanding of previously investigated nanotechnology-based approaches like nanostructured lipid carriers, micelles, solid lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, and liposomes to improve Genistein’s solubility and permeability. Graphical Abstract