Apigenin
Summary
Apigenin is a plant flavone best known as a marker compound in chamomile. No published placebo-controlled trial has tested isolated apigenin capsules for sleep. Chamomile extracts standardized to apigenin gave mixed sleep results and modest anxiety benefits (grade D), and an evening blend with 50 mg apigenin did not beat placebo. Human absorption of plain apigenin is poor.
Key facts
- A flavone (4′,5,7-trihydroxyflavone) found mainly as glycosides in chamomile and parsley[1]
- None published for sleep, stress or aging outcomes; human data come from chamomile extracts, parsley and one multi-ingredient blend[3][4][5][8]
- Plain apigenin was poorly absorbed (urinary metabolites about 0.5% of intake); apigenin glycosides in chamomile tea reached about 34%[1]
- Chamomile extract standardized to 1.2% apigenin (anxiety trials) or about 4% by later analysis (insomnia pilot)[5][3]
- 84 mg/day of apigenin from parsley for a week did not change platelet aggregation or other clotting markers[2]
- 6 graded human outcomes on this page
- October 12, 2026
How it works
ProposedLab and animal studies suggest apigenin binds GABA-A (benzodiazepine-site) receptors, which is the proposed basis for chamomile's calming effect. Trial authors cite this mechanism, but it has not been confirmed with isolated apigenin in people.[3][5]
What the human research says
Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form column shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
At a glance: strongest evidence per outcome
| Outcome | Grade | Effect | Strongest evidence | Rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep | Grade D | No effect | RCT · n = 103 · 2026 | 3 rows |
| Anxiety | Grade D | Mixed | RCT · n = 93 · 2016 | 2 rows |
| Clotting | Grade D | No effect | Crossover RCT · n = 18 · 1998 | 1 row |
Every graded row
| Outcome | Effect | Grade | Best evidence | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stress and sleep (evening blend with 50 mg apigenin) | No effect | Grade D | RCT · n = 103 · 2026 Healthy, physically active adults Form: Blend: 2 g magnesium L-threonate, 200 mg L-theanine and 50 mg apigenin · Dose: Evening dose of the blend · Duration: 2 weeks The evening blend showed no reported sleep or stress benefit over placebo; the improvements went to the morning ashwagandha and rhodiola group. | 42829807 (opens PubMed)Source [8] |
| Relapse and symptoms during long-term chamomile use in anxiety | Mixed | Grade D | RCT · n = 93 · 2016 Responders to 12 weeks of open-label chamomile with moderate-to-severe generalized anxiety disorder (USA) Form: Pharmaceutical-grade chamomile extract · Dose: 1,500 mg/day (500 mg three times daily) · Duration: 26 weeks randomized continuation Relapse was not significantly reduced (hazard ratio 0.52, P=0.16), but anxiety symptoms stayed lower than after switching to placebo (P=0.0032). | 27912875 (opens PubMed)Source [6] |
| Sleep quality in older adults (chamomile extract) | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 60 · 2017 Adults aged 60+ in a day-care nursing home (Iran) Form: Chamomile extract capsules (apigenin content not stated in the abstract) · Dose: 200 mg twice daily · Duration: 28 days Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores were better than with a wheat-flour placebo after the intervention (P<0.05). | 29154054 (opens PubMed)Source [4] |
| Anxiety symptoms in generalized anxiety disorder (chamomile extract) | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 57 · 2009 Outpatients with mild to moderate generalized anxiety disorder (USA) Form: Chamomile extract standardized to 1.2% apigenin · Dose: Escalating dose (amounts not stated in the abstract) · Duration: 8 weeks Hamilton Anxiety scores fell more than with placebo (P=0.047); secondary measures moved in the same direction. | 19593179 (opens PubMed)Source [5] |
| Sleep diary measures in chronic insomnia (chamomile extract) | No effect | Grade D | Pilot RCT · n = 34 · 2011 Adults aged 18–65 with chronic primary insomnia (USA) Form: Chamomile extract (90 mg capsules with about 3.9 mg apigenin each by HPLC) · Dose: 270 mg chamomile extract twice daily · Duration: 28 days No significant differences from placebo in total sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep latency, night waking or sleep quality. Daytime functioning showed a modest, non-significant advantage. | 21939549 (opens PubMed)Source [3] |
| Platelet aggregation and clotting markers (dietary apigenin) | No effect | Grade D | Crossover RCT · n = 18 · 1998 Healthy volunteers (Netherlands) Form: Dried parsley providing 84 mg apigenin/day · Dose: 5 g dried parsley/day (84 mg apigenin) · Duration: 7 days per period No significant effects on platelet aggregation, thromboxane B2, factor VII or other clotting variables; plasma apigenin could not be measured. | 9459373 (opens PubMed)Source [2] |
Forms
| Form | Elemental % | Absorption (human data) | GI tolerance | Studied for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apigenin (aglycone) capsules | Varies[1] | Plain apigenin was poorly absorbed: metabolites equal to about 0.5% of intake appeared in urine over 24 hours.[1] | No human trial of isolated apigenin capsules for sleep or stress reports tolerability data.[1] | Absorption study only |
| Chamomile extract standardized to apigenin | Varies[3][4][5][6] | Apigenin-7-glucoside from chamomile tea peaked in blood at about 2 hours, with urinary metabolites equal to about 34% of intake.[1] | Adverse events did not differ from placebo in the insomnia, anxiety and long-term anxiety trials.[3][5][6] | Sleep and anxiety trials (200–1,500 mg/day of extract) |
| Parsley (apigenin glycosides) | Varies[1][2] | A parsley drink peaked at about 4 hours (lower gut absorption), with urinary metabolites equal to about 11% of intake.[1] | No adverse effects reported in the 1998 crossover study abstract.[2] | Absorption and clotting studies |
| Apigenin-containing skin cream | Varies[7] | Applied to the skin, not swallowed.[7] | The cosmetic study abstract reports no adverse effects.[7] | Skin aging (cosmetic use) |
Studied doses
Doses studied in human trials ranged from 200–1,500 mg/day of chamomile extract (apigenin content often unreported) for 4 weeks up to 38 weeks, plus 84 mg/day of apigenin from parsley for 1 week and 50 mg of apigenin inside a 2-week evening blend. No trial has tested isolated apigenin capsules alone.[3][4][5][6][2][8]
Interactions
Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.
None found in our sources.
Who should be careful
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.
How to read the label
- Isolated apigenin vs chamomileMost studies dosed chamomile extract. One insomnia pilot measured about 3.9 mg of apigenin per 90 mg capsule; anxiety trials used extract standardized to 1.2% apigenin.[3][5]
- Label dose vs studied doseThe only trial that states an apigenin amount (50 mg) mixed it with magnesium and L-theanine and found no benefit over placebo.[8]
- AbsorptionPlain apigenin is poorly absorbed in people, so a large label amount may not mean a large blood level.[1]
Cost per studied dose, without the sales pitch
Compare any product you already have by the amount it delivers, not by capsule count or front-of-pack weight.
Cost per studied dose
Enter the price, servings and the amount per serving from your label.
Where to buy Apigenin
Products from brands we partner with that contain Apigenin. Listing a product is not a claim that it works; check the amount per serving against the doses studied above, and the label for other ingredients.
- SupersmartPaid linkLiposomal Apigenin1 capsule: 100 mg apigenin (200 mg liposomal grapefruit-zest extract); 30 servings. No published trial has tested isolated apigenin at this dose; the cited blend trial used 50 mg with other ingredients.Shop at Supersmart (opens in new tab)Price and label checked 2026-10-11 on the brand’s site.
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Frequently asked questions
Does apigenin help you sleep?
No trial has tested apigenin capsules alone for sleep. Chamomile extracts that contain it gave mixed results, and an evening blend with 50 mg apigenin did not beat placebo.[3][4][8]
Is apigenin the same as chamomile?
No. Apigenin is one flavone in chamomile; chamomile extracts also contain other compounds such as bisabolol, so chamomile results cannot be credited to apigenin alone.[3][5]
Does apigenin reduce anxiety?
Chamomile extract standardized to 1.2% apigenin modestly lowered anxiety scores in an 8-week trial of 57 adults; long-term use did not significantly reduce relapse.[5][6]
Is apigenin well absorbed?
Poorly as a plain powder (about 0.5% recovered in urine). Glycosides in chamomile tea were absorbed much better in the same study.[1]
Does apigenin thin the blood?
In 18 healthy volunteers, 84 mg/day of apigenin from parsley for a week did not change platelet aggregation or clotting markers.[2]
Does apigenin help aging skin?
One study tested an apigenin cream on aged skin and reported better dermal density and elasticity; it was a cosmetic, applied to the skin, not a supplement.[7]
Sources
- [1]Absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of apigenin and its glycosides in healthy male adults.. Free Radic Biol Med, 2022. PK-study
- [2]Effects of the flavonoids quercetin and apigenin on hemostasis in healthy volunteers: results from an in vitro and a dietary supplement study.. Am J Clin Nutr, 1998. crossover-RCT
- [3]Preliminary examination of the efficacy and safety of a standardized chamomile extract for chronic primary insomnia: a randomized placebo-controlled pilot study.. BMC Complement Altern Med, 2011. pilot-RCT
- [4]The effects of chamomile extract on sleep quality among elderly people: A clinical trial.. Complement Ther Med, 2017. RCT
- [5]A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral Matricaria recutita (chamomile) extract therapy for generalized anxiety disorder.. J Clin Psychopharmacol, 2009. RCT
- [6]Long-term chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized clinical trial.. Phytomedicine, 2016. RCT
- [7]Apigenin inhibits UVA-induced cytotoxicity in vitro and prevents signs of skin aging in vivo.. Int J Mol Med, 2016. RCT
- [8]Modulating stress and sleep through a multi-compound dietary supplement: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2026. RCT
What changed
- First draft. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title and year taken from the record) and abstracts read for the cited rows.
- Adversarial review pass: every evidence row re-read against its PubMed abstract; chamomile standardization and apigenin content checked in PMC full texts (PMC3198755, PMC3600416). No NIH ODS or NCCIH fact sheet covers apigenin itself. The multi-ingredient 2026 trial is reported as no benefit for the apigenin-containing evening arm. Retraction, expression-of-concern, erratum and withdrawn checks on all 8 PMIDs: none flagged. Page set indexable.
- Independent adversarial review (PR #201): spot-checked absorption, parsley, insomnia, elderly sleep, both anxiety trials and the 2026 blend trial against PubMed abstracts. No changes needed.