Fisetin, luteolin and genistein, natural polyphenolic compounds of pharmaceutical interest, were combined with nicotinamide and isonicotinamide with an aim to obtain their cocrystals. A screening experiment utilizing solvent-drop grinding was conducted for those combinations. Cocrystalline phases were identified by XRPD and, as far as possible, obtained as single crystals in solution evaporation approach. Five new cocrystals were isolated, characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction, FT-Raman spectroscopy, thermal analysis (DSC and TG–DTA), ¹H NMR in solution and compared in terms of supramolecular motifs. Reported herein fisetin–nicotinamide (1 : 2) ethanol hemisolvate (FisNam), fisetin–isonicotinamide (1 : 1) (FisInam), two polymorphic forms of luteolin–isonicotinamide (1 : 1) (LutInam, LutInam2) and genistein–nicotinamide (1 : 1) monohydrate (GenNam) cocrystals reveal the presence of an O–H⋯N_arom heterosynthon between an O7 hydroxyl moiety of a flavonoid and the pyridyl ring of a coformer. Within those species, mutual orientations of molecules as well as flavonoid–coformer stoichiometry and solvent presence in crystal lattice are factors that imply resulting motif formation and crystal packing.

Fisetin, a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound, has a proven record of in vitro demonstrated anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, yet similarly to many promising APIs, its in vivo administration is complicated by low aqueous solubility and unfavourable pharmacokinetics. The presented study was focused on obtaining and characterizing cocrystals of fisetin, with the aim of improving its solubility. Solvent-drop grinding experiments, combined with FT-Raman and XRPD, were conducted to identify new cocrystalline phases, which were afterwards isolated as single-crystals and characterized structurally and in terms of thermal stability and solubility. Dissolution studies of pure fisetin and four cocrystals, namely fisetin–isonicotinamide 1 : 1 (FisInam), fisetin–nicotinamide 1 : 2 hemiethanolate (FisNam), fisetin–nicotinamide 1 : 1 (FisNam2) and fisetin–caffeine 1 : 2 (FisCaf), showed that a 2.5-fold increase of fisetin solubility was achieved for FisNam and to a smaller extent for FisCaf and FisInam (ca. 1.8- and 1.5-fold, respectively).