From:  Pharmacological potential of apigenin: a dietary flavonoid with emerging synergistic interactions in therapeutics

 Summary of synergistic interactions between apigenin and small-molecule drugs

DrugDisease/modelEffect of combination with apigeninProposed mechanism of synergyStudy typeQuantitative synergy metric
Doxorubicin [76]Breast/various cancersEnhanced apoptosis and reduced drug resistanceROS generation, p53 activation, cell cycle arrestIn vitroCI = 0.65–0.85 (reported)
CisplatinOvarian/lung cancerIncreased cytotoxicity and chemosensitivityInhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway, apoptosis inductionIn vitro/in vivoCI < 1 (qualitative report)
TRAIL [11]Lung cancerIncreased sensitivity to apoptosisUpregulation of DR4/DR5 receptors (p53-dependent)In vitroNot reported
Metformin [56]Type 2 diabetesImproved glucose regulation and insulin sensitivityActivation of AMPK, enhanced GLUT4 translocationIn vivoNot applicable
5-Fluorouracil [76]Colorectal cancerEnhanced anticancer efficacyNF-κB inhibition, apoptosis enhancementIn vitroCI ~0.7 (reported)
Paclitaxel [77]Breast cancerIncreased tumor cell deathMicrotubule stabilization + apoptosis pathwaysIn vitroSynergistic (CI < 1; exact value not reported)
Antibiotics (e.g., Ciprofloxacin) [78]Bacterial infectionsEnhanced antibacterial activity, reduced resistanceMembrane disruption, biofilm inhibitionIn vitroNot reported
Temozolomide [79]GlioblastomaIncreased chemosensitivityROS generation, DNA damage enhancementIn vitroSynergistic (qualitative; CI not reported)

CI (Combination Index) values are based on the Chou–Talalay method where reported. CI < 1 indicates synergism, CI = 1 indicates an additive effect, and CI > 1 indicates antagonism. “Not reported” denotes that quantitative synergy metrics were not provided in the original study.