Silvestrol is a natural product from the
flavagline
Flavaglines are a family of natural products that are found in plants of the genus '' Aglaia'' (Meliaceae). These compounds are characterized by a cyclopenta 'b'' enzofuran skeleton. In 1982 King and colleagues discovered the first member of this f ...
family, with a cyclopenta
enzofuran core structure and an unusual
dioxane
1,4-Dioxane () is a heterocyclic organic compound, classified as an ether. It is a colorless liquid with a faint sweet odor similar to that of diethyl ether. The compound is often called simply dioxane because the other dioxane isomers ( 1,2- ...
ether side chain, which is found in the bark of trees from the genus ''
Aglaia
''Aglaia'' is a genus of 117 species of woody dioecious trees belonging to the Mahogany family (Meliaceae). These trees occur in the subtropical and tropical forests of Southeast Asia, Northern Australia and the Pacific.
Some species are impo ...
'', especially ''
Aglaia silvestris'' and ''
Aglaia foveolata
''Aglaia foveolata'' is a species of tropical tree in the family Meliaceae. This plant occurs in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia. It produces edible fruit. The bark contains silvestrol which is a potent inhibitor of ebola virus and Zika Virus
...
''.
Bioactivity
It acts as a potent and selective inhibitor of the RNA
helicase
Helicases are a class of enzymes thought to be vital to all organisms. Their main function is to unpack an organism's genetic material. Helicases are motor proteins that move directionally along a nucleic acid phosphodiester backbone, separatin ...
enzyme
eIF4A
The eukaryotic initiation factor-4A (eIF4A) family consists of 3 closely related proteins EIF4A1, EIF4A2, and EIF4A3. These factors are required for the binding of mRNA to 40S ribosomal subunits. In addition these proteins are helicases that ...
, and has both broad-spectrum
antiviral
Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Unlike most antibiotics, antiviral drugs do no ...
activity against diseases such as
Ebola
Ebola, also known as Ebola virus disease (EVD) and Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), is a viral hemorrhagic fever in humans and other primates, caused by ebolaviruses. Symptoms typically start anywhere between two days and three weeks after becom ...
and
coronavirus
Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the com ...
es,
and anti-cancer properties, which makes it of considerable interest in medical research. However, as it cannot be extracted from tree bark in commercial amounts and is prohibitively complex to produce synthetically, practical applications have focused more on structurally simplified analogues such as
CR-31-B.
See also
*
Rocaglamide
Rocaglamide is a natural product which belongs to a class of molecules called flavaglines. This compound was isolated in 1982 by King, Ming-Lu (金明儒) and colleagues based on its antileukemic activity. The name of Rocaglamide is named from tw ...
References
{{Reflist
Antiviral drugs
Dioxanes
Benzofuran ethers at the benzene ring