Abstract
Andrographis paniculata (A. paniculata) is a medicinal plant traditionally used as anti-inflammation and anti-bacteria herb. Andrographolide, the major active component of A. paniculata, exhibits diverse pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammation, anti-cancer, anti-obesity, anti-diabetes, and other activities. In this article, we comprehensively review the therapeutic potential of A. paniculata and andrographolide focusing on the mechanisms of action and clinical application. We systemically discuss the structure-activity relationship of andrographolide and derivatives. Despite the various pharmacological activities and formula of A. paniculata and andrographolide, we propose further development of more structural derivatives of andrographolide with reduced toxicity and increased therapeutic efficacy is still needed for the clinical application of this ancient mighty herb and its major component.
Competing interest statement
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be constructed as potential conflict of interest.
Author contributions
SC, YD, YTW, and YW mainly drafted the work critical for important intellectual content; YD, LC, and JZ analyzed SAR; all authors approved the version to be published.