Lawsone Unleashed: A Comprehensive Review on Chemistry, Biosynthesis, and Therapeutic Potentials

Abstract

Lawsone, a naturally occurring organic compound also called hennotannic acid, obtained mainly from Lawsonia inermis (Henna). It is a potential drug-like molecule with unique chemical and biological characteristics. Traditionally, henna is used in hair and skin coloring and is also a medicinal herb for various diseases. It is also widely used as a starting material for the synthesis of various drug molecules. In this review, we investigate on the chemistry, biosynthesis, physical and biological properties of lawsone. The results showed that lawsone has potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antitumor properties. It also induces cell cycle inhibition and programmed cell death in cancer, making it a potential chemotherapeutic agent. Additionally, inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine production makes it an essential treatment for inflammatory diseases. Exploration of its biosynthetic pathway can pave the way for its development into targets for new drug development. In future, well-thought-out clinical studies should be made to verify its safety and efficacy.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• lawsone
• Lawsonia inermis
• henna
• antitumor
• antioxidant
• anti-inflammatory
• antimicrobial

Data Sharing Statement

All data provided in the manuscript are from cited published studies.

Disclosure

Graphical abstract was created with BioRender.com. The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

There is no funding to report.