[2] Geniposide shows several pharmacological effects (in vitro and in vivo) including neuroprotective, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antidepressant-like, cardioprotective, antioxidant, immune-regulatory, antithrombotic and antitumoral activity.

[7][8] Geniposide was able to reverse the high levels of cortisol and hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone gene expression, which lead to an increase of 5-HT in the hippocampus and 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in striatum.

[7] Geniposide shows a reasonable capacity of induction of endogenous antioxidative proteins, which offer protection against cell injury by oxidative stress.

A study with hippocampal neurons revealed that geniposide could enhance cytoprotection, though the activation of the enzyme Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) and the induction of the nuclear translocation of erythroid 2–related factor 2 (NFE2L2).

[9] The PI3K/Nrf2 pathway signaling triggers several responses, such as the expression of antioxidative enzymes heme oxygenase (HO-1), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and NAD(P)H dehydrogenase quinone 1 (NQO1), reducing accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

[14] A study with the high-fat diet (HFD) - streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic mouse model using geniposides doses of 200 and 400 (mg/kg) has shown a significant decrease in body weight, blood glucose, insulin and triglycerides (TG) levels.

The main metabolic pathway involves the hydrolysis of the hydroxyl groups followed by a series of reactions, such as taurine, sulfate and glucuronide conjugation.

[18] A 2012 study linked geniposide hepatoxicity with oxidative stress, due to a decrease of total superoxide dismutase activity and an increase of malondialdehyde concentration in rats’ livers.