Plumbagin (PBG)

Plumbagin is an organic compound with the chemical formula C11H8O3. It is regarded as a toxin and it is genotoxic and mutagenic. Plumbagin is a yellow dye, formally derived from naphthoquinone. It is named after the plant genus Plumbago, from which it was originally isolated. It is also commonly found in the carnivorous plant genera Drosera and Nepenthes. It is also a component of the black walnut drupe (Juglans nigra). Plumbagin has been shown to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in numerous cancer cell lines including melanoma, lung, breast and others.[citation needed] It triggers autophagy via inhibition of the Akt/mTOR pathway and induces G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in A549 cells through JNK-dependent p53 Ser15 phosphorylation. Promotes autophagic cell death in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells and inhibits Akt/mTOR signaling. Induces intracellular ROS generation in a PI 5-kinase-dependent manner.