Legal status · United States
Is Apigenin legal in the United States?
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
Direct answer
Apigenin can be sold in the United States as a supplement or cosmetic ingredient, classified as "Sold as a supplement". That is not drug approval: FDA has not evaluated any health claim, and injectable or "research use only" versions fall outside supplement rules, so that label does not make human use lawful. On the evidence, 1 human study is cited on its profile.
Apigenin in the United States at a glance
| Classification | Sold as a supplement |
|---|---|
| Note | Sold as a supplement and present in ordinary foods including parsley, celery and chamomile. No authorised claim relating to NAD or ageing. |
| FDA approval status | A dietary constituent of common foods, sold over the counter as a supplement. Not an approved drug for any indication, and no health claim relating to NAD, CD38 or ageing has been authorised. |
| Human studies cited | 1 of 4 citations on the profile |
| Reviewed | Sep 2026 |
Classification and note come from the Apigenin profile, checked against U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) listings at the reviewed date.
What this means
- 01
Apigenin can be sold in the United States as a supplement, food or cosmetic ingredient under the classification above, without drug approval.
- 02
Supplement status means FDA has not evaluated any health claim; manufacturers are responsible for safety and labeling, and quality varies by product.
- 03
Injectable or "research use only" versions are not supplements. That label does not make human use lawful, and injectables fall under medicines rules.
What Apigenin is
Sold as a CD38 inhibitor that defends the NAD pool, on the strength of one 2013 paper in cells and obese mice. No human study has ever measured whether apigenin changes CD38 activity or NAD in a person, and human plasma after a large dietary dose peaks in the nanomolar range.
Apigenin occupies a specific and growing niche in NAD marketing. The pitch is that instead of pushing more precursor in, you stop the leak: CD38 is the enzyme that consumes NAD and its activity rises with age, so inhibiting it should preserve NAD.
Mechanism: CD38 is a membrane-bound NAD glycohydrolase, one of the principal consumers of NAD in mammalian tissue, whose expression and activity rise with age and which is also the main enzyme degrading NMN in vivo. Inhibiting it raises intracellular NAD without supplying any precursor, which in turn increases sirtuin activity and reduces global protein acetylation.
Regulatory history: A dietary constituent of common foods, sold over the counter as a supplement. Not an approved drug for any indication, and no health claim relating to NAD, CD38 or ageing has been authorised.
How FDA treats this kind of product
Approves prescription drugs by indication and polices unapproved products, including peptides sold online. Compounding pharmacies may prepare some compounds under a prescription when the FDA places them on a permitted bulk-substances category.
The classification above is the The Longevity Archive reading of U.S. Food and Drug Administration listings for Apigenin at the reviewed date, not a legal opinion. Rules change, and importing, prescribing and possessing a compound can each be treated differently. Check the regulator directly before acting on anything here.
Apigenin in other countries
Frequently asked questions
Is Apigenin legal in the United States?
Apigenin can be sold in the United States as a supplement or cosmetic ingredient, classified as "Sold as a supplement". That is not drug approval: FDA has not evaluated any health claim, and injectable or "research use only" versions fall outside supplement rules, so that label does not make human use lawful. On the evidence, 1 human study is cited on its profile. Note: Sold as a supplement and present in ordinary foods including parsley, celery and chamomile. No authorised claim relating to NAD or ageing.
Can I buy Apigenin in the United States?
Yes, in supplement or cosmetic form. In the United States Apigenin is classified as "Sold as a supplement", so oral, topical or cosmetic products can be sold under supplement rules. Injectable versions and products labeled "research use only" are not supplements and are not approved for human use. Note: Sold as a supplement and present in ordinary foods including parsley, celery and chamomile. No authorised claim relating to NAD or ageing.
Is Apigenin FDA approved?
No. FDA status: A dietary constituent of common foods, sold over the counter as a supplement. Not an approved drug for any indication, and no health claim relating to NAD, CD38 or ageing has been authorised.. Current US classification: "Sold as a supplement". On the evidence, 1 human study is cited on its profile.
Related compounds in the United States
Full research profile
Mechanism, cited studies, FDA status and the full legal summary for Apigenin live on its compound profile.
Apigenin profileThis page is general information about the regulatory status of Apigenin in the United States, current as of Sep 2026. It is not legal advice, and classifications change; check U.S. Food and Drug Administration directly or consult a lawyer for a specific situation. Educational use only. This database summarizes published research. It is not medical advice and contains no dosing protocols or recommendations for personal use. The Longevity Archive has no vendor relationships and does not recommend where to buy anything.