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Luteolin

Flavonoid · also known as 3',4',5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone

Dietary flavonoid studied alongside quercetin for effects on mast cell mediator release in laboratory models.

How it relates to mast cells
Mast cells in the laboratory
Types of studies cited
Human mast cells in vitro
Approved for
nothing — US dietary supplement — not FDA-approved as a drug

What this relationship means: Studied on mast cells directly, but in cell culture or animals rather than in people. The study-design field distinguishes human cells from non-human models. A mechanism demonstrated in a dish is a reason to investigate, not a result — and the concentrations used are frequently ones that human exposure does not reach.

Mechanism of action

Luteolin is a flavonoid found in a range of vegetables and fruits. The polyphenol literature reports that it suppresses production of interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and vascular endothelial growth factor from tumour necrosis factor-stimulated keratinocytes, and groups it with quercetin as a polyphenol acting on mast cell signalling.

As with quercetin, the evidence base is laboratory work rather than human outcome data in mast cell activation syndrome, and it is listed here on mechanistic grounds only.

Sources

  1. Impact of polyphenols on mast cells with special emphasis on the effect of quercetin and luteolin Review article 2018 PMID 30799996 · link checked 20 Aug 2026