A Scoping Review on Recent Progress on Purpurin and its Derivatives

Background: Purpurin is being used as a red dye for many decades. But recently, due to its pharmacological properties, purpurin and its derivatives have attracted a lot of researchers for the treatment of various ailments, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, etc. Objectives: The objective of this study is to provide an overview of its pharmacological properties, pharmacokinetic studies, synthesis, isolation, quality assurance, and patent studies. Methods: A systemic scoping review was undertaken. Three databases (Pubmed, Scopus, and Google Scholar) and patent websites were searched using relevant words (e.g., purpurin, purpurin derivatives, anticancer, toxicity, etc.). All outcomes for studies that met the inclusion criteria were included in the review. Extracted data were accumulated using tables, figures, and accompanying narrative descriptive summaries. The review was reported using the preferred reporting items for scoping review (PRISMAScR) guidelines. Sixty-eight studies and eighty-six patents met the inclusion criteria, mostly preclinical (in vitro, in vivo, and in silico) studies performed in rats, mice, dogs, and zebrafish, followed by one clinical trial study. Results: The potent antioxidant nature of purpurin is the main reason behind its vast pharmacological properties. It acts by decreasing mitochondrial stress and by acting on the endoplasmic reticulum. It also crosses the BBB barrier, has high GI absorption, and follows the Lipinski rule, which makes it a good drug for various neurodegenerative disorders. It inhibits various CYP-450, CYP 1A2, and CYP 3A4 enzymes, which are responsible for causing mutations. It gets photosensitized by UV light and causes ROSdependent apoptosis in cancer cells. Conclusion: This scoping review highlights purpurin and its derivatives as highly prized moieties in the treatment of various neurological conditions and cancer. The unique nature of purpurin is responsible for its pharmacological properties, which are due to the presence of hydroxyl and keto groups at specific positions. It gets photosensitized by UV and laser light and acts as an anticancer drug. But the lack of robust evaluation in clinical studies is another major concern. Purpurin can be seen in the prescription in the future, although a lot of work still needs to be done.