[Research progress on the anti-inflammatory molecular mechanisms of shikonin]

Shikoninis a natural naphthoquinone compound derived from plants of the Lithospermum genus, which has gained widespread attention due to its remarkable anti-inflammatory effects. In recent years, with the progressive researches on shikonin, significant advances have been made in elucidating its anti-inflammatory molecular mechanisms, laying a theoretical foundation for its application in anti-inflammatory therapy. Shikonin modulates inflammatory responses through multi-target and multi-pathway regulatory mechanisms, including suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine expression tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-1β, inhibition of classical inflammatory signaling pathways such as nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation, and regulation of oxidative stress responses. Studies based on molecular biology, cellular experiments, and animal models have demonstrated that shikonin exhibits favorable biosafety and promising potential for drug development. However, current research still has limitations in mechanistic elucidation, pharmacokinetic data, and clinical translation. In the future, by integrating novel drug delivery systems, further exploration on the anti-inflammatory network of shikonin should be conducted to provide new strategies for the precise treatment of inflammatory diseases.