Anacardic Acid

Anacardic acid, isolated from cashew shells or several other medicinal plants, is the general name given to a family of four different 6-alkyl salicyclic acids having varying degrees of unsaturation in the 15-carbon alkyl chain.¹ These compounds are associated with anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, molluscicidal, and anti-microbial activity. Literature frequently sites and gives the name anacardic acid to the completely-saturated compound (6-pentadecyl salicylic acid). Anacardic acid inhibits the histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity of the transcription co-activators p300 and p300/CREB-binding protein-associated factor (PCAF) with IC₅₀ values of 8.5 and 5 µM, respectively.² At 25 µmol/L, anacardic acid suppresses NF-κB activation, inhibits IκB-α phosphorylation, and prohibits p65 nuclear translocation in KBM-5 cells.³

WARNING This product is not for human or veterinary use.

1. Satoh, M., Takeuchi, N., Fujita, T., et al. Synthesis of anacardic acids utilizing an annelation reaction of isoxazoles with ethyl acetoacetate. Chem. Pharm. Bull. (Tokyo) 46(10), 1501-1505 (1998).

2. Balasubramanyam, K., Swaminathan, V., Ranganathan, A., et al. Small molecule modulators of histone acetyltransferase p300. The Journal of Biological Chemisty 278(21), 19134-19140 (2003).

3. Sung, B., Pandey, M.K., Ahn, K.S., et al. Anacardic acid (6-nonadecyl salicylic acid), an inhibitor of histone acetyltransferase, suppresses expression of nuclear factor-κB-regulated gene products involved in cell survival, proliferation, invasion, and inflammation through inhibition of the inhibitory subunit of nuclear factor-κBα kinase, leading to potentiation of apoptosis. Blood 111, 4880-4891 (2008).