Verbascoside (VB)

Verbascoside is a phenylethanoid (with hydroxytyrosol) and a phenylpropanoid (with caffeic acid) sugar ester. Verbascoside can be found in species in the Lamiales order (in the family Scrophulariaceae, Verbascum phlomoides, Verbascum mallophorum, or Buddlejaceae family Buddleja globosa or Buddleja cordata, in the Bignoniaceae family, Pithecoctenium sp and Tynanthus panurensis, in the Orobanchaceae family, Cistanche sp and Orobanche rapum-genistae and in the Plantaginaceae Plantago lanceolata). Verbascoside has an antimicrobial activity, notably against Staphylococcus aureus. It can also have anti-inflammatory properties. Although some "in vitro" genotoxicity of verbascoside has been reported on human lymphocytes with an involvement of PARP-1 and p53 proteins., subsequent "in vivo" tests reported no genotoxicity for high dosage oral administration. It is a protein kinase C inhibitor.