It has putative benefits in dietary cancer prophylaxis. It has also been found to inhibit fatty acid amide hydrolase and to act as agonist of PPARgamma, nuclear receptor that is current pharmacological target for the treatment of diabetes type 2. It acts as an antineoplastic agent. It is a selective agonist at ER-β estrogen receptors, and may have chemopreventive efficacy against breast cancer. In line with its low activity at ER-α estrogen receptors, it is essentially devoid of uterotrophic activity. Biochanin A is also a ligand for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). It reduces arterial resistance and enhances microcirculation perhaps via effects on potassium and/or calcium ion channels. Induction of sulfotransferases for xenobiotic detoxification has been proposed as a mechanism of its cancer preventive effects. It is a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor and apoptosis inducer

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