Silvestrol is a natural product from the flavagline family, with a cyclopenta

benzofuran Benzofuran is the heterocyclic compound consisting of fused benzene and furan rings. This colourless liquid is a component of coal tar. Benzofuran is the structural nucleus (parent compound) of many related compounds with more complex stru ...

core structure and an unusual

dioxane Dioxane may refer to the following chemical compounds: * 1,2-dioxane * 1,3-dioxane * 1,4-dioxane {{Authority control ...

ether side chain, which is found in the bark of trees from the genus ''

Aglaia Aglaia, Aglaea, Aglaïa, Aglaja, or Aglaya (Ἀγλαΐα) is an ancient Greek female name and may refer to: People and mythical figures * Aglaia or Aglaea (mythology) ** Aglaia (Grace), one of the Charites in Greek mythology * Saint Aglaia of ...

'', especially ''

Aglaia silvestris ''Aglaia silvestris'' is a species of plant in the family Meliaceae. It is found in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. This plant initiated the naming of the Rocagl ...

'' 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 that are 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 double helix, separating the two hybridized ...

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 Messenger RNA, mRNA to 40S ribosome, ribosomal subunits. In addition these prot ...

, 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. Antiviral drugs are a class of antimicrobials ...

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 in ...

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 comm ...

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.

References

{{Reflist Antiviral drugs Dioxanes Benzofuran ethers at the benzene ring Vicinal diols Secondary alcohols Tertiary alcohols

Bioactivity

See also

References