Senkyunolide I is a natural phthalide existing in L. chuanxiong and A. sinensis with good blood-brain barrier permeability, which has the potential to become a cardio-cerebral vascular drug candidate [1]. Its pharmacological effects include analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-thrombotic, anti-tumor effects, alleviating ischemia-reperfusion injury, etc [1].
Senkyunolide I (400μM; 2h) significantly attenuated glutamate-induced cytotoxicity, increased the cell viability of Neuro2a cells [2]. Senkyunolide I (20, 50, 100μM; 24h) suppressed the fibrotic markers (α-Sma, Col1a1, and Timp1) in the TGF-β1-stimulated hepatic stellate cells in a dose-dependent manner [3]. Senkyunolide I (200, 400μM; 24h) promoted neural stem/progenitor cells proliferative capacity [4].
Senkyunolide I (36mg/kg; 4 weeks; qow; i.p.) attenuated the ROS and apoptosis in the aortic tissue in the TAAD (thoracic aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection) model C57BL/6J mice [5]. Senkyunolide I (72mg/kg; i.p.) reduced TNF-α, IL-1β levels in sepsis-associated encephalopathy model Sprague-Dawley rats [6].
References:
[1] Huang Y, Wu Y, Yin H, et al. Senkyunolide I: a review of its phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and drug-likeness [J]. Molecules, 2023, 28(8): 3636.
[2] Wang M, Hayashi H, Horinokita I, et al. Neuroprotective effects of Senkyunolide I against glutamate-induced cells death by attenuating JNK/caspase-3 activation and apoptosis [J]. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy, 2021, 140: 111696.
[3] Zhu M, Ren L, Xiao W, et al. Senkyunolide I suppresses hepatic stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis by reprogramming VDR-dependent fatty acid metabolism [J]. Chinese medicine, 2025, 20(1): 85.
[4] Wang M, Hayashi H, Horinokita I, et al. Role of senkyunolide I in the promotion of neural stem/progenitor cell proliferation via the Akt/β-catenin pathway [J]. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy, 2023, 168: 115683.
[5] Zhao K, Zhu H, He X, et al. Senkyunolide I ameliorates thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection in mice via inhibiting the oxidative stress and apoptosis of endothelial cells [J]. Biochimica et biophysica acta Molecular basis of disease, 2023, 1869(7): 166819.
[6] Cao H, Liu T, Xu M. Senkyunolide I improves septicemia-induced brain dysfunction via regulating Nrf2 and astrocyte activity [J]. Biotechnology and applied biochemistry, 2025, 72(5): 1385-1394.