Formononetin, an isoflavone, derived from Astragalus membranaceus, possesses the potential to reduce obesity and associated metabolic disorders. Formononetin displays estrogenic properties and induces angiogenesis activities. It regulates adipocyte thermogenesis as a partial PPARγ agonist and produces proangiogenesis effects through estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)-enhanced ROCK-II signaling pathways, by direct binding to the ligand-binding domain (LBD) of ERα. Besides, was shown, that formononetin inhibits HMGB1 release by decreasing HMGB1 acetylation via upregulating SIRT1 in a PPARδ-dependent manner and the identification of this process may help to treat inflammation-related disorders.

a-Isosparteine was originally isolated from Cytisus scoparius. It was isolated from two other legumes, Lupinus caudatus Kell. and Genista tinctoria L. a-Isosparteine exhibits basically the same action as does (-)-sparteine but possesses a more rapid onset and a shorter duration when compared using rat myocardial tissue. male Sprague-Dawley rats were found to metabolize sparteine and a-isosparteine to lupanine and alpha-isolupanine respectively in vivo. a-Isosparteine elicits intense interest because of its deployment as uniquely effective chiral ligand in a wide variety of metal-mediated enantioselective synthetic methods.

S-Allylcysteine (SAC), the most abundant organosulfur compound in aged garlic extract, has multifunctional activity via different mechanisms and neuroprotective effects that are exerted probably via its antioxidant or free radical scavenger action. Anticancer effects of SAC were reported in prostate cancer, breast cancer, oral cavity cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, neuroblastoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma through the restoration of E-cadherin, the reduction of Slug and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) protein expression, and stimulating apoptotic pathways. In addition, recently was revealed, that SAC might have imperative implications for the deterrence and early treatment of type 2 diabetes by reducing the influx of glucose in the polyol pathway, thereby elevating the GSH level and reducing the activities of aldose reductase (AR) and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH).