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Details

Stereochemistry ABSOLUTE
Molecular Formula C16H16O5
Molecular Weight 288.2952
Optical Activity UNSPECIFIED
Defined Stereocenters 1 / 1
E/Z Centers 0
Charge 0

SHOW SMILES / InChI
Structure of SHIKONIN

SMILES

CC(C)=CC[C@@H](O)C1=CC(=O)C2=C(O)C=CC(O)=C2C1=O

InChI

InChIKey=NEZONWMXZKDMKF-SNVBAGLBSA-N
InChI=1S/C16H16O5/c1-8(2)3-4-10(17)9-7-13(20)14-11(18)5-6-12(19)15(14)16(9)21/h3,5-7,10,17-19H,4H2,1-2H3/t10-/m1/s1

HIDE SMILES / InChI

Description

Shikonin is a major naphthoquinone compound found in the roots of Lithospermum erythrorhizon and exhibits powerful anticancer activities for various cancer cells. Shikonin and its derivatives are characterized by a wide spectrum of antibacterial activities: high antibacterial activity towards Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus et al.), a stable fungicidal effect towards Candida and Trichosporon fungi. Shikonin normalizes the production of the key mediators of inflammation IL-1 and IL-2, IFN-γ, reduces vascular permeability in the focus of inflammation, exhibiting a marked anti-inflammatory effect. Combined therapy with applications of a bio-polymeric film with shikonin and its esters (naphthoquinone derivatives) led to an obvious improvement of the clinical parameters and reduced the morphological signs of the buccal mucosal lesions. The drug was well tolerated by all patients and no side effects were recorded. Shikonin, as a naturally occurring, low-molecular-weight pan-chemokine receptor inhibitor, constitutes a basis for the development of novel anti-HIV therapeutic agents.

Approval Year

Targets

Primary TargetPharmacologyConditionPotency
8.82 µM [IC50]
2.57 µM [IC50]

Conditions

ConditionModalityTargetsHighest PhaseProduct
Primary
Unknown
Palliative
Unknown
Primary
Unknown

Drug as perpetrator​

Drug as victim

PubMed

Sample Use Guides

In Vivo Use Guide
Biopolymeric films local application to foci of lesions 3 times daily over 3 weeks.
Route of Administration: Topical
In Vitro Use Guide
Shikonin inhibited the replication of a multidrug-resistant HIV1 strain and pediatric clinical isolates of HIV in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, with 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC(50)s) ranging from 96 to 366 nM. Shikonin also effectively inhibited the replication of the HIV Ba-L isolate in monocytes/macrophages, with an IC(50) of 470 nM.