Current trends on repurposing and pharmacological enhancement of andrographolide

Andrographolide, the main bioactive component separated from Andrographis paniculata in 1951, have been scrutinized with modern drug discovery approach for anti-inflammatory properties since 1984. Identifying new uses for existing drugs can be facilitated by evidence linking them to known or yet undiscovered drug targets and human disease states to develop new therapeutic indications. Afterwards, a wide spectrum of biological properties of andrographolide such as anti-cancer, antibacterial, antiviral, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-malarial, anti-atherosclerosis were also reported. However, poor water solubility and instability limit its clinical application. it becomes crucial to enhance its pharmacological function and find new treatment for more diseases. Therefore, this article reviews the major recent developments in andrographolide, including repurposing application in different diseases and underlying mechanisms, particularly focusing on pharmacological enhancement of andrographolide such as derivatives, chemical modifications with potent biological activity and drug delivery. The repurposing and pharmacological enhancement of andrographolide would not only have exciting therapeutic potential to different diseases to facilitate drug marketing, but also decrease the burden on health economies worldwide.