Myricetin is a common plant-derived flavonoid with a wide range of activities including strong anti-oxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory activities.

Myricetin exhibits the scavenging activity towards a number of radicals and ions. It displays poor activity (IC50 value=1.4 mg/mL) in a superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity assay[1]. It prevents cancer cell death via apoptosis via regulation of PI3K/Akt and MAPK signalling pathways[2]. Myricetin exhibits antiphotoaging effects by quenching causative free radicals in the skin. Myricetin is able to suppress UVB-induced COX-2 expression in mouse skin epidermal JB6 P+ cells. It inhibits UVB-induced initiation of activator protein-1 and NF-κβ, as well as Fyn kinase activity[1]. Myricetin inhibits viability of SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. It induces DNA DSBs and ER stress, which leads to apoptosis in SKOV3 cells[3]. Myricetin inhibits human Hsp70 by more than 80% with IC50 values of 83, 11 and 12 μM, respectively[4].

Treatment of orthotopic pancreatic tumors with myricetin results in tumor regression and decreases metastatic spread[2]. Exposure to 150 μM myricetin causes 14%, 26%, 5% and 49% inhibition of rabbit platelet aggregation, induced by ADP, arachidonic acid, collagen and PAF, respectively[5].