Indirubin (IR)

Indirubin is a chemical compound most often produced as a byproduct of bacterial metabolism. For instance, it is one of the compounds responsible for the generally benign condition purple urine bag syndrome, resulting from bacteria metabolizing indoxyl sulfate found naturally in urine. Indirubin is a chemical constituent of indigo naturalis (also known as qing dai), which has been used for hundreds of years in traditional Chinese medicine. It is produced by collecting the waste products from the bacterial degradation of specific forms of vegetation. Indirubin exerts its effects on the human body by downregulating expression of genes. Genes Plk1 and Pin1, both oncogenic, have been shown to be affected by indirubin. Indirubin has, in vitro and in vivo, been shown to reduce expression of the CDC25B gene, which codes for production of CDC25B enzyme.