Flavanone is the basic chemical skeleton for the class of compounds known as Flavanoids. Flavonoids are naturally occurring secondary plant metabolites. They are mainly found in cereals and herbs. In the western diet, the estimated daily intake of flavonoids is in the range of 20 -50 mg per day. Flavonoids as a class generally have effects on CYP (P450) activity, and therefore may affect drug metabolisms.

Seviteronel (VT-464) is a 17,20-lyase selective inhibitor of CYP17A1, which plays key roles in adrenal and intratumoral de novo biosynthesis of androgens. The inhibition of 17,20-lyase activity by seviteronel (VT-464) is enough to reduce androgen levels, and its preserving of 17alpha-hydroxylase activity largely avoids interference with the production of other steroidal hormones. Seviteronel (VT-464) also has shown AR-antagonist activity independent of CYP17 enzyme inhibition. It is currently in phase 2 clinical trials as a therapeutic for castration-resistant prostate cancer patients.

Pantetheine is the mercaptoethyl conjugated amide analog of pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5), an intermediate in the production of coenzyme A by the body. Pantetheine is part of two larger compounds (coenzyme A and acyl-carrier protein) that promote a large number of metabolic reactions essential for the growth and well-being of animals. Pantetheine has been found to ameliorate symptoms in various disease models but specifically in Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration (PKAN). Pantetheine is usually administered in its disulfide form (i.e. pantethine) since pantethine is commercially available and is reduced to pantetheine in biological systems and pantethine was hydrolyzed to pantetheine and pantothenic acid prior to absorption. The applicability and efficacy of pantethine (therefore also pantetheine) as a clinical therapeutic however is hampered since both forms can be degraded by pantetheine present in the body.

ST-101 (also known as ZSET1446) is an azaindolizinone derivative patented by Zenyaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and improvement of cerebral function. In preclinical models, ST-101 stimulates acetylcholine release and improves methamphetamine-induced impairment of recognition memory in mice by activating extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2. Impaired neurogenesis observed in olfactory bulbectomized mice was significantly improved by chronic administration with ST-101. We confirmed that administration with mecamylamine, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist, inhibits ST-101-enhanced neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus. ST-101 administration also restored decreased phosphorylation of Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase in the dentate gyrus of olfactory bulbectomized mice.