Plumbagin promotes the generation of astrocytes from rat spinal cord neural progenitors via activation of the transcription factor Stat3.

Plumbagin (5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4 naphthoquinone) is a naturally occurring low molecular weight lipophilic phytochemical derived from roots of plants of the Plumbago genus. Plumbagin has been reported to have several clinically relevant biological activities in non-neural cells, including anti-atherosclerotic, anticoagulant, anticarcinogenic, antitumor, and bactericidal effects. In a recent screen of a panel of botanical pesticides, we identified plumbagin as having neuroprotective activity.