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Review
. 2016 Dec 8:7:472.
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00472. eCollection 2016.

Cynaropicrin: A Comprehensive Research Review and Therapeutic Potential As an Anti-Hepatitis C Virus Agent

Mahmoud F Elsebai  1 , Andrei Mocan  2 , Atanas G Atanasov  3
Affiliations
Review

Cynaropicrin: A Comprehensive Research Review and Therapeutic Potential As an Anti-Hepatitis C Virus Agent

Mahmoud F Elsebai et al. Front Pharmacol. .

Abstract

The different pharmacologic properties of plants-containing cynaropicrin, especially artichokes, have been known for many centuries. More recently, cynaropicrin exhibited a potential activity against all genotypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Cynaropicrin has also shown a wide range of other pharmacologic properties such as anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-trypanosomal, anti-malarial, antifeedant, antispasmodic, anti-photoaging, and anti-tumor action, as well as activation of bitter sensory receptors, and anti-inflammatory properties (e.g., associated with the suppression of the key pro-inflammatory NF-κB pathway). These pharmacological effects are very supportive factors to its outstanding activity against HCV. Structurally, cynaropicrin might be considered as a potential drug candidate, since it has no violations for the rule of five and its water-solubility could allow formulation as therapeutic injections. Moreover, cynaropicrin is a small molecule that can be easily synthesized and as the major constituent of the edible plant artichoke, which has a history of safe dietary use. In summary, cynaropicrin is a promising bioactive natural product that, with minor hit-to-lead optimization, might be developed as a drug for HCV.

Keywords: anti-gastritis action; anti-hepatitis C virus; anti-hyperlipidemic; anti-inflammatory; anti-parasite; antibacterial; antitumor; cynaropicrin.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Structure of cynaropicrin.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Pharmacological effects of cynaropicrin.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Structure of 13-O-acetylsolstitialin A.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Structures of deacylcynaropicrin and dimethylamino cynaropicrin derivative.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Proposed biosynthetic pathway for cynaropicrin.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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