Shikonin is a major component of a Chinese herbal medicine named zicao. Shikonin is a potent TMEM16A chloride channel inhibitor with an IC50 of 6.5 µM[1]. Shikonin is a specific pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) inhibitor[2] and can also inhibit TNF-alpha and NF-kappaB pathway[3]. Shikonin decreases exosome secretion through the inhibition of glycolysis[4]. Shikonin inhibits AIM2 inflammasome activation[7].
