Database Query Results : Shikonin, , ER Stress

SK, Shikonin: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
The (R)-enantiomer of alkannin is known as shikonin, and the racemic mixture of the two is known as shikalkin.
Shikonin is a naphthoquinone derivative primarily isolated from the roots of plants in the Boraginaceae family (e.g., Lithospermum erythrorhizon).
Shikonin is the main active component of a Chinese medicinal plant 'Zi Cao'
-Shikonin is a major component of zicao (purple gromwell, the dried root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon), a Chinese herbal medicine with anti-inflammatory properties
-Quinone methides (QMs) are highly reactive intermediates formed from natural compounds like shikonin
-ic50 cancer cells 1-10uM, normal cells >10uM

-known as Glycolysis inhibitor: ( inhibit pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2*******), a key enzyme in the glycolytic pathway)

Available from mcsformulas.com Shikonin Pro Liposomal, 30 mg
Also In Glycolysis Inhibithree(100 mg PHLORIZIN,10 mg TANSHINONE IIA, 8 mg Shikonin)

-Note half-life15-30mins or 8hr?.
BioAv low, poor water solubility
Pathways:
- usually induce ROS production in cancer cells, and reduce ROS in normal cells.
- ROS↑ related: MMP↓(ΔΨm), ER Stress, GRP78↑, Ca+2↑, Cyt‑c↑, Caspases↑, DNA damage↑, cl-PARP↑, HSP↓,
- Lowers AntiOxidant defense in Cancer Cells: NRF2↓, TrxR↓**, SOD↓, GSH↓ Catalase↓ GPx4↓
- Raises AntiOxidant defense in Normal Cells: ROS↓, NRF2↑, SOD↑, GSH↑, Catalase↑,
- lowers Inflammation : NF-kB↓, COX2↓, p38↓, Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines : NLRP3↓, IL-1β↓, TNF-α↓, IL-6↓, IL-8↓
- inhibit Growth/Metastases : TumMeta↓, TumCG↓, EMT↓, MMPs↓, MMP2↓, MMP9↓, IGF-1↓, uPA↓, VEGF↓, FAK↓, NF-κB↓, TGF-β↓, ERK↓
- cause Cell cycle arrest : TumCCA↑, cyclin D1↓, cyclin E↓, CDK2↓, CDK4↓,
- inhibits Migration/Invasion : TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, FAK↓, ERK↓, EMT↓,
- inhibits glycolysis /Warburg Effect and ATP depletion : HIF-1α↓, PKM2↓, cMyc↓, GLUT1↓, LDH↓, LDHA↓, HK2↓, PFKs↓, PDKs↓, ECAR↓, OXPHOS↓, GRP78↑, GlucoseCon↓
- inhibits angiogenesis↓ : VEGF↓, HIF-1α↓, EGFR↓, Integrins↓,
- Others: PI3K↓, AKT↓, JAK↓, STAT↓, β-catenin↓, AMPK, ERK↓, JNK, P53↑,
- Synergies: chemo-sensitization, chemoProtective, RadioSensitizer, Others(review target notes), Neuroprotective, Cognitive, Renoprotection, Hepatoprotective, CardioProtective,

- Selectivity: Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells
Rank Pathway / Target Axis Direction Primary Effect Notes / Cancer Relevance
1 PKM2-mediated aerobic glycolysis (Warburg metabolism) Energy / biomass restriction Key, repeatedly reported mechanism: shikonin suppresses PKM2 activity and PKM2-driven glycolysis in multiple tumor models, with downstream growth inhibition and apoptosis
2 ROS accumulation / oxidative stress ↑ ROS Redox overload Common upstream trigger that drives mitochondrial dysfunction and regulated cell death programs; often precedes necroptosis/apoptosis signaling
3 Necroptosis core cascade (RIPK1 → RIPK3 → MLKL) Programmed necrotic cell death Strong evidence across cancers (e.g., leukemia and nasopharyngeal carcinoma): shikonin increases RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL expression/activation; necroptosis inhibitors can blunt the effect
4 Mitochondrial integrity (ΔΨm) Mitochondrial dysfunction ROS-linked depolarization; acts as a pivot into intrinsic apoptosis and other death programs
5 Intrinsic apoptosis (BAX/BAK → Caspase-9/3) Programmed cell death Frequently observed; often framed as ROS → mitochondrial damage → caspase-dependent apoptosis
6 PKM2/STAT3 signaling axis Reduced survival & proliferation signaling In ESCC and related models, shikonin suppresses PKM2-driven glycolysis and down-modulates STAT3 pathway activity
7 NF-κB pathway Reduced pro-survival transcription Reported as part of multi-target suppression of inflammatory/anti-apoptotic programs in several tumor models and reviews
8 PI3K–AKT (± mTOR) Growth & resistance pathway inhibition Often described as sensitizing cells to apoptosis/TRAIL; may be secondary to oxidative stress and metabolic collapse
9 Stress MAPKs (JNK / p38) Pro-death stress signaling Common downstream response to ROS; can reinforce apoptosis and other death outcomes
10 Ferroptosis-related axis (lipid peroxidation; GPX4) ↑ lipid perox / ↓ GPX4 Iron-dependent oxidative death Reported prominently for acetylshikonin (a shikonin derivative): ROS-associated lipid peroxidation with reduced GPX4 expression alongside RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL activation
11 Endoplasmic reticulum stress (UPR / ERS) Proteotoxic stress signaling Frequently mentioned in leukemia-focused mechanism summaries and broader reviews as contributory to growth arrest and death
12 Multiple regulated death programs (apoptosis / necroptosis / ferroptosis / pyroptosis) ↑ (context-dependent) Broader cell-death engagement Recent reviews emphasize that shikonin can engage several programmed cell death modalities depending on cell context and dosing
Rank Pathway / Target Axis Direction Primary Effect Notes / Cancer Relevance Ref
1 PKM2-mediated aerobic glycolysis (Warburg metabolism) ↓ PKM2 activity / ↓ glycolysis Energy & biomass restriction Demonstrates shikonin (and analogs) inhibit cancer glycolysis, reducing glucose consumption/lactate production via PKM2 targeting (ref)
2 PKM2 → STAT3 signaling axis ↓ PKM2-driven signaling / ↓ STAT3 pathway Reduced survival & proliferation ESCC study: shikonin suppresses PKM2-mediated aerobic glycolysis and regulates PKM2/STAT3 signaling (ref)
3 Necroptosis (RIPK1 → RIPK3 → MLKL) ↑ RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL Programmed necrotic cell death Nasopharyngeal carcinoma: shikonin induces necroptosis with upregulation of RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL (with ROS involvement) (ref)
4 ROS accumulation ↑ ROS Oxidative stress trigger Colon cancer model: shikonin increases intracellular ROS; ROS functions upstream of apoptosis (ref)
5 Mitochondrial apoptosis (Caspase-9/3) ↑ Caspase-9/3 Programmed cell death Same colon cancer study shows shikonin increases caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity (mitochondria-mediated apoptosis) (ref)
6 ER stress / UPR (PERK → eIF2α → CHOP) Proteotoxic stress apoptosis signaling Colon cancer: shikonin-induced apoptosis mediated by PERK/eIF2α/CHOP ER-stress pathway (ref)
7 Autophagic flux (autophagosome–lysosome completion) ↓ autophagic flux (blocked) ROS + apoptosis amplification Colorectal cancer: shikonin induces ROS and apoptosis by inhibiting autophagic flux (ref)
8 NF-κB signaling ↓ NF-κB activity Reduced pro-survival transcription Pancreatic cancer xenograft/mechanistic study: shikonin suppresses NF-κB activity and NF-κB–regulated gene products (ref)
9 PI3K–AKT–mTOR (stemness / chemoresistance axis) ↓ PI3K/AKT/mTOR Reduced survival & stemness Chemoresistant lung cancer CSC context: shikonin attenuates PI3K–Akt–mTOR pathway and reduces cancer stemness (ref)
10 Cell cycle control (p21; G2/M arrest) ↑ p21 / ↑ G2/M arrest Proliferation block Gastric cancer (AGS): shikonin induces cell-cycle arrest linked to p21 regulation (ref)
11 Invasion / metastasis programs (NF-κB-linked) ↓ invasion Anti-invasive phenotype Reports shikonin inhibits tumor invasion via down-regulation of NF-κB–related mechanisms in a high-metastatic tumor model (ref)
12 Chemosensitization via glycolysis suppression ↓ glycolysis / ↑ cisplatin sensitivity Combination benefit NSCLC: shikonin inhibits glycolysis and sensitizes cells to cisplatin (explicitly connecting metabolic suppression to chemosensitization) (ref)


ER Stress, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signaling pathway: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
Protein expression of ATF, GRP78, and GADD153 which is a hall marker of ER stress.
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signaling pathway plays a crucial role in maintaining cellular homeostasis and responding to various stressors, including those encountered in cancer. When cells experience stress, such as the accumulation of misfolded proteins, they activate a series of signaling pathways collectively known as the unfolded protein response (UPR). The UPR aims to restore normal function by enhancing the protein-folding capacity of the ER, degrading misfolded proteins, and, if the stress is unresolved, triggering apoptosis.
The activation of ER stress pathways can contribute to resistance against chemotherapy and targeted therapies. Cancer cells may utilize the UPR to survive treatment-induced stress, making it challenging to achieve effective therapeutic outcomes.

-ER stress-associated proteins include: phosphorylation of PERK, eIF2α, ATF4, CHOP and cleaved-caspase 12



Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
2231- SK,    Shikonin Exerts Cytotoxic Effects in Human Colon Cancers by Inducing Apoptotic Cell Death via the Endoplasmic Reticulum and Mitochondria-Mediated Pathways
- in-vitro, CRC, SNU-407
Apoptosis↑, Shikonin induced apoptotic cell death by activating mitogen-activated protein kinase family members
ER Stress↑, apoptotic process was mediated by the activation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress
PERK↑, leading to activation of the PERK/elF2α/CHOP apoptotic pathway, and mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation.
eIF2α↑,
CHOP↑,
mt-Ca+2↑,
MMP↓, Shikonin increased mitochondrial membrane depolarization
Bcl-2↓, decrease in B cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2 and an increase in Bcl-2-associated X protein, and subsequently, increased expression of cleaved forms of caspase-9 and -3.
Casp3↑,
Casp9↑,
ERK↑, Shikonin treatment activated ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPK in a time-dependent manner
JNK↑,
p38↓,

2229- SK,    Shikonin induces apoptosis and prosurvival autophagy in human melanoma A375 cells via ROS-mediated ER stress and p38 pathways
- in-vitro, Melanoma, A375
Apoptosis↑, Shikonin induces apoptosis and autophagy in A375 cells and inhibits their proliferation
TumAuto↑,
TumCP↓,
TumCCA↑, Shikonin caused G2/M phase arrest through upregulation of p21 and downregulation of cyclin B1
P21↑,
cycD1/CCND1↓,
ER Stress↑, Shikonin significantly triggered ER stress-mediated apoptosis by upregulating the expression of p-eIF2α, CHOP, and cleaved caspase-3.
p‑eIF2α↑,
CHOP↑,
cl‑Casp3↑,
p38↑, induced protective autophagy by activating the p38 pathway, followed by an increase in the levels of p-p38, LC3B-II, and Beclin 1
LC3B-II↑,
Beclin-1↑,
ROS↑, Shikonin increased the production of reactive oxygen species
eff↓, NAC treatment significantly decreased the expression of p-p38, LC3B-II, and Beclin 1.

2228- SK,    Shikonin induced Apoptosis Mediated by Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Colorectal Cancer Cells
- in-vitro, CRC, HCT116 - in-vitro, CRC, HCT15 - in-vivo, NA, NA
Apoptosis↑, shikonin induced cell apoptosis by down-regulating BCL-2 and activating caspase-3/9 and the cleavage of PARP.
Bcl-2↓,
Casp3↑,
Casp9↑,
cl‑PARP↑,
GRP78/BiP↑, The expression of BiP and the PERK/elF2α/ATF4/CHOP and IRE1α /JNK signaling pathways were upregulated after shikonin treatment.
PERK↑,
eIF2α↑,
ATF4↑,
CHOP↑,
JNK↑,
eff↓, pre-treatment with N-acetyl cysteine significantly reduced the cytotoxicity of shikonin
ER Stress↑, Shikonin induced endoplasmic reticulum stress
ROS↑, Shikonin induced reactive oxygen species-mediated ER stress
TumCG↓, Shikonin suppressed the growth of colorectal cancer cells in vivo

2217- SK,    Shikonin Inhibits Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Induced Apoptosis to Attenuate Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Activating the Sirt1/Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway
- in-vivo, Nor, NA - in-vitro, Nor, HK-2
*ER Stress↓, shikonin alleviated ER stress-induced apoptosis in I/R mice
*SIRT1↑, shikonin activated Sirt1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling post-I/R
*NRF2↑,
*HO-1↑,
*eff↓, inhibition of Sirt1 limited shikonin-mediated protection against ER stress-stimulated apoptosis in both animal and cellular models.
*RenoP↑, Shikonin pretreatment alleviates renal I/R injury through activating Sirt1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling to inhibit ER stress-mediated apoptosis.
*GRP78/BiP↓, The current study revealed that shikonin significantly downregulated GRP78, CHOP, caspase-12, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3 proteins levels in renal tissues of I/R mice and H/R-challenged HK-2 cells
*CHOP↓,
*Casp12↓,
*BAX↓,
*cl‑Casp3↓,


* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 4

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

ROS↑, 2,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics

MMP↓, 1,  

Cell Death

Apoptosis↑, 3,   Bcl-2↓, 2,   Casp3↑, 2,   cl‑Casp3↑, 1,   Casp9↑, 2,   JNK↑, 2,   p38↓, 1,   p38↑, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress

CHOP↑, 3,   eIF2α↑, 2,   p‑eIF2α↑, 1,   ER Stress↑, 3,   GRP78/BiP↑, 1,   PERK↑, 2,  

Autophagy & Lysosomes

Beclin-1↑, 1,   LC3B-II↑, 1,   TumAuto↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair

cl‑PARP↑, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence

cycD1/CCND1↓, 1,   P21↑, 1,   TumCCA↑, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State

ERK↑, 1,   TumCG↓, 1,  

Migration

mt-Ca+2↑, 1,   TumCP↓, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature

ATF4↑, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance

eff↓, 2,  
Total Targets: 29

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

HO-1↑, 1,   NRF2↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis

SIRT1↑, 1,  

Cell Death

BAX↓, 1,   Casp12↓, 1,   cl‑Casp3↓, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress

CHOP↓, 1,   ER Stress↓, 1,   GRP78/BiP↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance

eff↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes

RenoP↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 11

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: ER Stress, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signaling pathway
4 Shikonin
Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers.
Such Conditions may include : 
  -low or high Dose
  -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations
  -different cell line effects
  -synergies with other products 
  -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells
Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:%  IllCat:%  CanType:%  Cells:%  prod#:150  Target#:103  State#:%  Dir#:%
wNotes=on sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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