Shikonin

Shikonin is a naturally occurring naphthoquinine isolated from the dried root of L. erythrorhizon, an herb used in traditional Chinese medicine. It increases glucose uptake by adipocytes and myocytes and inhibits the activity of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN; IC50 = 2.7 µM). It inhibits glycolysis in cancer cells by inhibiting tumor-specific pyruvate kinase M2 (IC50 = 0.3 µM). Shikonin induces cell death consistent with necroptosis in MCF-7 and HEK293 cancer cell lines. It inhibits leukocyte migration, downregulates chemokine receptor expression, and inhibits HIV-1 replication at nanomolar...