Lithospermum erythrorhizon

Lithospermum erythrorhizon
Leaves
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: (unplaced)
Family: Boraginaceae
Subfamily: Boraginoideae
Genus: Lithospermum
Species: L. erythrorhizon
Binomial name
Lithospermum erythrorhizon
Siebold & Zucc. 1846
Lithospermum erythrorhizon, with flowers

Lithospermum erythrorhizon, the purple gromwell, red-root gromwell, 紫草 zicao (Pinyin: zǐcǎo), 紫草 murasaki･sō (Japanese) is a plant species in the genus Lithospermum.

The dried root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon (lithospermum root or Lithospermi Radix, Kanji: 紫根, Katakana: シコン, Pinyin: zǐ gēn, Traditional Chinese: 紫根, Simplified Chinese: 紫根) is a Chinese herbal medicine with various antiviral and biological activities, including inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1).[1][2]

Biochemistry

The enzyme 4-hydroxybenzoate geranyltransferase utilizes geranyl diphosphate and 4-hydroxybenzoate to produce 3-geranyl-4-hydroxybenzoate and diphosphate. Biosynthetically, alkannin is produced in plants from the intermediates 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and geranyl pyrophosphate. This enzyme is involved in shikonin biosynthesis.

The enzyme geranylhydroquinone 3''-hydroxylase uses geranylhydroquinone, NADPH, H+ and O2 to produce 3-hydroxygeranylhydroquinone, NADP+ and H2O.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Chen, X., et al. (2003). Shikonin, a component of Chinese herbal medicine, inhibits chemokine receptor function and suppresses human immunodeficiency virus type 1. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 47(9), 2810-16.
  2. ↑ Gao, H., et al. (2011). Anti-adenovirus activities of shikonin, a component of Chinese herbal medicine in vitro. Biol Pharm Bull. 34(2) 197-202.
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