Flavonoids are compounds characterized by a 15-carbon skeleton structure (also abbreviated as C6-C3-C6) containing two aromatic ring systems (A and B rings) and a heterocyclic ring (C) (Kumar and Pandey, 2013[37]; Dias et al., 2021[19]). Among these, flavonols have an unsaturated C ring at the C2-C3 position, which is hydroxylated at C3 and oxidized at C4. The main flavonols are myricetin (MYR), quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, and fisetin (Kim et al., 2006[35]; Spiegel et al., 2020[61]).
MYR (3,3′,4′,5,5′,7-hexahydroxyflavone) is a flavonol (Ong and Khoo, 1997[48]) derived from the parent compound taxifolin, which is turned into the (+)-dihydromyricetin intermediate and can be further chemically modified to produce laricitrin and then syringetin, both molecules in the flavonol class of flavonoids (Flamini et al., 2013[21]).
MYR is present in various fruits, vegetables, tea, berries and red wine. MYR's augmented biological activity in comparison with other flavonols is due to the pyrogallol B-ring, and the more hydroxylated structure. MYR is found in the Myricaceae, Anacardiaceae, Polygonaceae, Pinaceae and Primulaceae families (Gupta et al., 2020[24]; Taheri et al., 2020[65]). MYR displays an array of biological and pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, anti-amyloidogenic, antibacterial, antiviral, antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-epileptic and anti-ulcer (Imran et al., 2021[28]; Pluta et al., 2021[52]; Agraharam et al., 2022[1]; Javed et al., 2022[30]). Because of such a range of properties, MYR has been the object of great attention in recent years for its uses in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. The present letter summarizes recent key research on the biological and pharmacological properties of MYR (Table 1(Tab. 1); References in Table 1: Ahmad et al., 2022[2]; Akhtar et al., 2020[3]; Alidadi et al., 2022[4]; Alqarni et al., 2022[5]; Aminzadeh and Bashiri, 2020[6]; Aminzadeh and Salarinejad, 2021[8]; Aminzadeh et al., 2023[7]; Anwar et al., 2022[9]; Arafah et al., 2022[10]; Bai et al., 2021[11]; Berköz et al., 2020[12]; Chen et al., 2021[13], 2023[14]; Choi et al., 2021[15]; Dai et al., 2021[16]; Dang et al., 2023[17]; Deng et al., 2021[18]; Dubey et al., 2020[20]; Gao et al., 2023[22]; Gaspar et al., 2020[23]; Han et al., 2022[25]; Huang et al., 2020[26]; Ikeji et al., 2023[27]; Jang et al., 2020[29]; Ji et al., 2022[31]; Jing et al., 2021[32]; Kan et al., 2021[33]; Kang et al., 2020[34]; Kimura et al., 2021[36]; Lalitha et al., 2020[38]; Li et al., 2022[39], 2023[40]; Lin et al., 2020[41]; Liu et al., 2022[42], 2023[43]; Lv et al., 2021[44]; Ma et al., 2021[45]; Nafee et al., 2020[46]; Nie et al., 2023[47]; Pan et al., 2023[49]; Park et al., 2021[50]; Peng et al., 2022[51]; Prajapati et al., 2020[53]; Qu et al., 2020[54]; Rajendran et al., 2021[55]; Rostami et al., 2023[56]; Salimi et al., 2021[57]; Sharma et al., 2023[58]; Soleimani and Sajedi, 2020[59]; Song et al., 2021[60]; Sun et al., 2021[62]; Sur and Lee, 2022[63][64]; Wang et al., 2020[67], 2022[66], 2023[68]; Xiao et al., 2021[69]; Xu et al., 2022[70]; Yang et al., 2022[71]; Yao et al., 2022[72]; Ying et al., 2020[73]; Zhang et al., 2020[74]; Zhao et al., 2022[75]; Zhu et al., 2020[76]).