Database Query Results : Shikonin, , LDH

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, 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)


LDH, Lactate Dehydrogenase: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
LDH is a general term that refers to the enzyme that catalyzes the interconversion of lactate and pyruvate. LDH is a tetrameric enzyme, meaning it is composed of four subunits.
LDH refers to the enzyme as a whole, while LDHA specifically refers to the M subunit. Elevated LDHA levels are often associated with poor prognosis and aggressive tumor behavior, similar to elevated LDH levels.
leakage of LDH is a well-known indicator of cell membrane integrity and cell viability [35]. LDH leakage results from the breakdown of the plasma membrane and alterations in membrane permeability, and is widely used as a cytotoxicity endpoint.

However, it's worth noting that some studies have shown that LDHA is a more specific and sensitive biomarker for cancer than total LDH, as it is more closely associated with the Warburg effect and cancer metabolism.

Dysregulated LDH activity contributes significantly to cancer development, promoting the Warburg effect (Chen et al., 2007), which involves increased glucose uptake and lactate production, even in the presence of oxygen, to meet the energy demands of rapidly proliferating cancer cells (Warburg and Minami, 1923; Dai et al., 2016b). LDHA overexpression favors pyruvate to lactate conversion, leading to tumor microenvironment acidification and aiding cancer progression and metastasis.

Inhibitors:
Flavonoids, a group of polyphenols abundant in fruit, vegetables, and medicinal plants, function as LDH inhibitors.
LDH is used as a clinical biomarker for Synthetic liver function, nutrition


Tier A — Direct LDH Enzyme Inhibitors (Validated Catalytic Inhibition)

Rank Compound Type LDH Target Potency Level Primary Effect Notes
1 NCI-006 Research drug LDHA / LDHB High (in vivo active) Potent glycolysis suppression Modern benchmark LDH inhibitor used in metabolic oncology models.
2 (R)-GNE-140 Research drug LDHA (±LDHB) High (nM range reported) Lactate production ↓ Widely used experimental LDH inhibitor.
3 FX11 Research drug LDHA High (μM range) Metabolic crisis in LDHA-dependent tumors Classic LDHA inhibitor; often increases ROS secondary to metabolic stress.
4 Oxamate Tool compound LDH (pyruvate-competitive) Moderate (mM cellular use) Reduces lactate flux Classical LDH inhibitor; requires high concentrations in cells.
5 Gossypol Natural product derivative LDHA Moderate–High Glycolysis inhibition Also has other targets; safety considerations apply.
6 Galloflavin Natural compound LDH isoforms Moderate Lactate production ↓ One of the better-supported “natural-like” LDH inhibitors.

Tier B — Indirect LDH-Axis Modulators (Glycolysis / Lactate Reduction Without Confirmed Direct Catalytic Inhibition)

Rank Compound Mechanism Type LDH Claim Type Primary Axis Notes / Caution
1 Lonidamine MCT/MPC modulation Lactate axis inhibition Metabolic transport blockade Better classified as lactate/pyruvate transport modulator.
2 Stiripentol Repurposed drug LDH pathway modulation Metabolic axis modulation Emerging oncology interest; primarily neurological drug.
3 Quercetin Flavonoid Reported LDH inhibition (mixed evidence) NF-κB / PI3K modulation Often LDH-release confusion; direct enzymatic proof limited.
4 Ursolic acid Triterpenoid Reported LDH interaction Warburg modulation More credible as metabolic signaling modulator.
5 Fisetin Flavonoid Docking / indirect reports Apoptosis / survival signaling Enzyme inhibition not well validated.
6 Resveratrol Polyphenol Indirect glycolysis suppression AMPK / HIF-1α modulation Reduces lactate via upstream signaling.
7 Curcumin Polyphenol Indirect LDH expression modulation Inflammation + metabolic signaling Bioavailability limits translational strength.
8 Berberine Alkaloid Indirect metabolic modulation AMPK activation Closer to metformin-like metabolic pressure.
9 Honokiol Lignan Indirect glycolysis effects Survival pathway suppression Not validated as catalytic LDH inhibitor.
10 Silibinin Flavonolignan Mixed / indirect reports Inflammation + metabolic axis Often misclassified as LDH inhibitor.
11 Kaempferol Flavonoid Often LDH-release marker confusion Glucose transport / signaling Do not list as direct LDH inhibitor without enzyme data.
12 Oleanolic acid / Limonin / Allicin / Taurine Natural compounds Weak / indirect evidence General metabolic modulation Should not be categorized as true LDH inhibitors.

Tier A = Direct catalytic LDH inhibition (enzyme-level validation).
Tier B = Indirect lactate reduction or glycolytic modulation without strong catalytic inhibition evidence.
Important: LDH release assays (cell damage marker) are not proof of LDH enzymatic inhibition.



Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
3040- SK,    Pharmacological Properties of Shikonin – A Review of Literature since 2002
- Review, Var, NA - Review, IBD, NA - Review, Stroke, NA
*Half-Life↝, One study using H-shikonin in mice showed that shikonin was rapidly absorbed after oral and intramuscular administration, with a half-life in plasma of 8.79 h and a distribution volume of 8.91 L/kg.
*BioAv↓, shikonin is generally used in creams and ointments, that is, oil-based preparations; indeed, its insolubility in water is usually the cause of its low bioavailability
*BioAv↑, 200-fold increase in the solubility, photostability, and in vitro permeability of shikonin through the formation of a 1 : 1 inclusion complex with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin.
*BioAv↑, 181-fold increase in the solubility of shikonin in aqueous media in the presence of β-lactoglobulin at a concentra- tion of 3.1 mg/mL
*Inflam↓, anti-inflammatory effect of shikonin
*TNF-α↓, shikonin inhibited TNF-α production in LPS-stimulated rat primary macrophages as well as NF-κB translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus.
*other↑, authors found that treatment with shikonin prevented the shortening of the colorectum and decreased weight loss by 5 % while improving the ap- pearance of feces and preventing bloody stools.
*MPO↓, MPO activity was reduced as well as the expression of COX-2, the activation of NF-κB and that of STAT3.
*COX2↓,
*NF-kB↑,
*STAT3↑,
*antiOx↑, Antioxidant Effects of Shikonin
*ROS↓, radical scavenging activity of shikonin
*neuroP↑, shown to exhibit a neuroprotective effect against the damage caused by ischemia/reperfusion in adult male Kunming mice
*SOD↑, it also attenuated neuronal damage and the upregulation of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities while reducing the glutathione/glutathione disulfide ratio.
*Catalase↑,
*GPx↑,
*Bcl-2↑, shikonin upregulated Bcl-2, downregulated Bax and prevented cell nuclei from undergoing morphological changes typical of apoptosis.
*BAX↓,
cardioP↑, Two different studies have suggested a possible cardioprotective effect of shikonin that would be related to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
AntiCan↑, A wide spectrum of anticancer mechanisms of action have been described for shikonin:
NF-kB↓, suppression of NF-κB-regulated gene products [44],
ROS↑, ROS generation [46],
PKM2↓, inhibition of tumor-specific pyruvate kinase-M2 [47,48]
TumCCA↑, cell cycle arrest [49]
Necroptosis↑, or induction of necroptosis [50],
Apoptosis↑, shikonin at 1 μM induced caspase-dependent apoptosis in U937 cells after 6 h with an increase in DNA fragmentation, intracellular ROS, low mitochondrial membrane potential
DNAdam↑,
MMP↓,
Cyt‑c↑, At 10 μM, shikonin induced a greater release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria and of lactate dehydrogenase,
LDH↝,

2181- SK,    Shikonin and its analogs inhibit cancer cell glycolysis by targeting tumor pyruvate kinase-M2
- in-vitro, BC, MCF-7 - in-vitro, Lung, A549 - in-vitro, Cerv, HeLa
Glycolysis↓, Shikonin and alkannin significantly inhibited the glycolytic rate, as manifested by cellular lactate production and glucose consumption in drug-sensitive and resistant cancer cell lines
lactateProd↓,
GlucoseCon↓,
PKM2↓, shikonin and alkannin are the most potent and specific inhibitors to PKM2 reported so far
LDH∅, LDH was not inhibited by shikonin, alkannin and the analogs

1284- SK,    Shikonin induces ferroptosis in multiple myeloma via GOT1-mediated ferritinophagy
- in-vitro, Melanoma, RPMI-8226 - in-vitro, Melanoma, U266
Ferroptosis↑, SHK treatment leads to the ferroptosis of MM cells
LDH↓,
ROS↑, Cellular mitochondrial lipid ROS also increased after SHK treatment
Iron↑,
lipid-P↑,
ATP↓, extracellular release of Adenosine 5’-triphosphate (ATP) and High mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1
HMGB1↓,
GPx4↓, Additionally, the ferroptosis markers GPX4 and solute carrier family 7 member 11 (xCT/SLC7A11) were downregulated at both the transcriptional and translational levels after SHK treatment
MDA↑, SHK treatment led to an increase in MDA content in cells. In contrast, the levels of SOD and GSH decreased in cells
SOD↓,
GSH↓,


* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 3

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

Ferroptosis↑, 1,   GPx4↓, 1,   GSH↓, 1,   Iron↑, 1,   lipid-P↑, 1,   MDA↑, 1,   ROS↑, 2,   SOD↓, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics

ATP↓, 1,   MMP↓, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis

GlucoseCon↓, 1,   Glycolysis↓, 1,   lactateProd↓, 1,   LDH↓, 1,   LDH↝, 1,   LDH∅, 1,   PKM2↓, 2,  

Cell Death

Apoptosis↑, 1,   Cyt‑c↑, 1,   Ferroptosis↑, 1,   Necroptosis↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair

DNAdam↑, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence

TumCCA↑, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling

HMGB1↓, 1,   NF-kB↓, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers

LDH↓, 1,   LDH↝, 1,   LDH∅, 1,  

Functional Outcomes

AntiCan↑, 1,   cardioP↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 30

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

antiOx↑, 1,   Catalase↑, 1,   GPx↑, 1,   MPO↓, 1,   ROS↓, 1,   SOD↑, 1,  

Cell Death

BAX↓, 1,   Bcl-2↑, 1,  

Transcription & Epigenetics

other↑, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State

STAT3↑, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling

COX2↓, 1,   Inflam↓, 1,   NF-kB↑, 1,   TNF-α↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance

BioAv↓, 1,   BioAv↑, 2,   Half-Life↝, 1,  

Functional Outcomes

neuroP↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 18

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: LDH, Lactate Dehydrogenase
3 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#:906  State#:%  Dir#:%
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