Compound Monograph

14-Deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide

Terpenoids Diterpenes Natural (plant-derived)

14-Deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide is one of the three principal ent-labdane diterpenoids of andrographis (Andrographis paniculata), alongside andrographolide and neoandrographolide. A dehydro-analogue of andrographolide, it carries the herb's most distinctive isolate signals — vasorelaxant/cardiovascular activity and anti-influenza action — and is the parent of the Chinese injectable antiviral dehydroandrographolide succinate. Human data for the isolated molecule are absent.

Sources · 2

Where Does It Come From?

14-Deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide is a naturally occurring diterpenoid (ent-labdane diterpene lactone), found in Andrographis and 1 other source. It is well tolerated orally (low toxicity).

Also found in
Other Andrographis species Monograph coming soon

Concentration

Content by Source

Concentrations not reported. No percent-dry-weight or mg/g figures have been published for this compound in its source plants.

14-Deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide at a Glance

14-Deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide is a naturally occurring ent-labdane diterpene lactone and one of the three principal diterpenoids of andrographis (Andrographis paniculata), alongside andrographolide — the herb’s marker compound — and neoandrographolide 1Reference 1Hossain MS et al. · 2014ReviewAndrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees: a review of ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and pharmacologyView study →. Structurally it is a dehydro-analogue of andrographolide: the 14-deoxy substitution plus an 11,12-double bond distinguish it from the parent, and that change makes it more lipophilic and, importantly, non-cytotoxic where andrographolide can be cytotoxic to cultured cells 8Reference 8Guan SP et al. · 2011Protective role of 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide, a noncytotoxic analogue of andrographolide, in allergic airway inflammationView study →.

Its research identity is narrower and more distinctive than andrographolide’s. The isolated molecule carries two signals that are more its own than the herb’s: a vasorelaxant / blood-pressure-lowering action — in which it is the most potent of the three diterpenoids — and an anti-influenza action demonstrated in cells and in mice 2,4,5Reference 2Yoopan N et al. · 2007Cardiovascular effects of 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide and Andrographis paniculata extractsView study →Reference 4Cai W et al. · 2015Cai W, Li Y, Chen S, Wang M, Zhang A, Zhou H, Chen H, Jin M (2015). 14-Deoxy-11,12-dehydroandrographolide exerts anti-influenza A virus activity and inhibits replication of H5N1 virus by restraining nuclear export of viral ribonucleoprotein complexes. Antiviral Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25800824/View study →Reference 5Cai W et al. · 2016AnimalCai W, Chen S, Li Y, Zhang A, Zhou H, Chen H, Jin M (2016). 14-Deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide attenuates excessive inflammatory responses and protects mice lethally challenged with highly pathogenic A(H5N1) influenza viruses. Antiviral Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27476045/View study →. It is also the chemical parent of dehydroandrographolide succinate, an injectable antiviral used in Chinese hospitals 14,15Reference 14Shang YX et al. · 2022Meta-analysisAdverse effects of andrographolide derivative medications compared to the safe use of herbal preparations of Andrographis paniculata: results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studiesView study →Reference 15Chen Q et al. · 2012Pharmacokinetics and tolerance of dehydroandrographolide succinate injection after intravenous administration in healthy Chinese volunteersView study →.

The honest caveat runs through the whole page: there are no controlled human trials of the isolated molecule. Andrographis’s human evidence belongs to standardised whole-herb extracts dominated by andrographolide, and the isolate’s own data are rodent and in-vitro. Its oral bioavailability is poor (~3%), which tempers how far the preclinical potency can be read across to people 9Reference 9Yen CC et al. · 2019AnimalBioavailability of the diterpenoid 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide in rats and up-regulation of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme and drug transporter expressionView study →.

A Major Andrographis Diterpenoid

Andrographis paniculata is defined chemically by its ent-labdane diterpene lactones — more than 55 have been catalogued in the plant — of which three dominate the medicinal aerial parts: andrographolide, neoandrographolide, and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide 1Reference 1Hossain MS et al. · 2014ReviewAndrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees: a review of ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and pharmacologyView study →. Andrographolide is the marker used to standardise commercial extracts and carries most of the herb’s anti-inflammatory reputation; neoandrographolide is a glucoside; this molecule is the dehydro (14-deoxy, 11,12-didehydro) member of the series and is generally reported as the herb’s second most abundant diterpenoid 9Reference 9Yen CC et al. · 2019AnimalBioavailability of the diterpenoid 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide in rats and up-regulation of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme and drug transporter expressionView study →.

Two things make it worth separating from its more famous sibling:

  • It is a co-marker, not the marker. Andrographis extracts are titrated to andrographolide, so a clinical result for a standardised extract is really a result for andrographolide-plus-matrix — this diterpenoid rides along but is rarely the quantified or tested actor. Chromatographic quality-control methods for the herb nonetheless track it as one of the identifying diterpenoids 1Reference 1Hossain MS et al. · 2014ReviewAndrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees: a review of ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and pharmacologyView study →.
  • It is the parent of a drug. Its semi-synthetic 3,19-disuccinate — dehydroandrographolide succinate (DAS, “Yanhuning”) — is a water-soluble derivative developed and approved in China as an intravenous antiviral for viral pneumonia and upper-respiratory infection 14,15Reference 14Shang YX et al. · 2022Meta-analysisAdverse effects of andrographolide derivative medications compared to the safe use of herbal preparations of Andrographis paniculata: results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studiesView study →Reference 15Chen Q et al. · 2012Pharmacokinetics and tolerance of dehydroandrographolide succinate injection after intravenous administration in healthy Chinese volunteersView study →. That derivative is where a human “dose” of this scaffold actually exists, and its safety profile (below) is a genuinely different matter from the oral herb.

Cardiovascular & Antiviral Research

The two applications that make this diterpenoid distinctive — rather than a bit-player behind andrographolide — are cardiovascular and antiviral, and both are isolate signals.

Cardiovascular / vasorelaxant. Andrographis has a folk-medicine history as an antihypertensive in parts of Southeast Asia, and when researchers dissected which diterpenoid was responsible, this one stood out. In a comparison of the three major diterpenoids, 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide (labelled AP3) was the most potent at inducing vasorelaxation in isolated rat aorta and at lowering heart rate, and A. paniculata extracts richer in it produced greater blood-pressure falls in anaesthetised rats 2Reference 2Yoopan N et al. · 2007Cardiovascular effects of 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide and Andrographis paniculata extractsView study →. Mechanistically the vasodilation runs through the nitric-oxide / cyclic-GMP pathway: the molecule stimulates nitric-oxide release from cultured human endothelial cells (more than its non-dehydro cousin 14-deoxyandrographolide) and activates nitric-oxide synthase and guanylyl cyclase, with vascular smooth muscle the main site of effect 2,3Reference 2Yoopan N et al. · 2007Cardiovascular effects of 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide and Andrographis paniculata extractsView study →Reference 3Zhang CY · 1999Effects of 14-deoxyandrographolide and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide on nitric oxide production in cultured human endothelial cellsView study →.

Antiviral (influenza). The isolate’s other flagship is direct antiviral activity against influenza A. It inhibits replication of highly pathogenic H5N1 and other strains (H1N1, H3N2) by restraining the nuclear export of viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) complexes and cutting viral nucleoprotein mRNA — a defined molecular target rather than a vague “immune boost” 4Reference 4Cai W et al. · 2015Cai W, Li Y, Chen S, Wang M, Zhang A, Zhou H, Chen H, Jin M (2015). 14-Deoxy-11,12-dehydroandrographolide exerts anti-influenza A virus activity and inhibits replication of H5N1 virus by restraining nuclear export of viral ribonucleoprotein complexes. Antiviral Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25800824/View study →. In mice lethally challenged with H5N1, the isolate improved survival and reduced lung viral titres, while damping the excessive TNF-α / IL-1β / IL-6 cytokine response that drives severe influenza lung injury — working both before and after infection 5Reference 5Cai W et al. · 2016AnimalCai W, Chen S, Li Y, Zhang A, Zhou H, Chen H, Jin M (2016). 14-Deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide attenuates excessive inflammatory responses and protects mice lethally challenged with highly pathogenic A(H5N1) influenza viruses. Antiviral Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27476045/View study →. A follow-up traced part of that protection to modulation of caspase-9-dependent intrinsic apoptosis in infected lung epithelium 6Reference 6Cai W et al. · 2020Cai W, Wen H, Zhou Q, Wu L, Chen Y, Zhou H, Jin M (2020). 14-Deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide inhibits apoptosis in influenza A(H5N1) virus-infected human lung epithelial cells via the caspase-9-dependent intrinsic apoptotic pathway which contributes to its antiviral activity. Antiviral Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32702348/View study →. Reviews of andrographolide-class antivirals place this molecule among the more promising derivatives on mechanism 7Reference 7Adiguna SP et al. · 2021Antiviral activities of andrographolide and its derivatives: mechanism of action and delivery systemView study →.

The load-bearing honesty: both stories are rodent, cell, and mechanistic — potent and coherent, but not human. The nearest human bridge is the injectable succinate derivative (DAS), which is a different molecule given intravenously, not the oral diterpenoid.

What It's Used For

Beyond the two flagship signals, the isolate shows anti-inflammatory (anti-asthma) and metabolic activity in animal and cell models. The evidence divides sharply by whether the isolated molecule — rather than a whole andrographis extract — was actually tested; here, unusually, most of the mechanistic work is the isolate.

A distinctive cardiovascular signal:the most potent vasorelaxant of the three andrographis diterpenoids, lowering blood pressure and heart rate in rats through the nitric-oxide/cGMP pathway 2,3Reference 2Yoopan N et al. · 2007Cardiovascular effects of 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide and Andrographis paniculata extractsView study →Reference 3Zhang CY · 1999Effects of 14-deoxyandrographolide and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide on nitric oxide production in cultured human endothelial cellsView study →.
A defined antiviral mechanism:inhibits influenza A (including H5N1) by blocking vRNP nuclear export and improves survival in infected mice while calming the cytokine storm — the scaffold behind the Chinese injectable antiviral dehydroandrographolide succinate 4,5,14Reference 4Cai W et al. · 2015Cai W, Li Y, Chen S, Wang M, Zhang A, Zhou H, Chen H, Jin M (2015). 14-Deoxy-11,12-dehydroandrographolide exerts anti-influenza A virus activity and inhibits replication of H5N1 virus by restraining nuclear export of viral ribonucleoprotein complexes. Antiviral Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25800824/View study →Reference 5Cai W et al. · 2016AnimalCai W, Chen S, Li Y, Zhang A, Zhou H, Chen H, Jin M (2016). 14-Deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide attenuates excessive inflammatory responses and protects mice lethally challenged with highly pathogenic A(H5N1) influenza viruses. Antiviral Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27476045/View study →Reference 14Shang YX et al. · 2022Meta-analysisAdverse effects of andrographolide derivative medications compared to the safe use of herbal preparations of Andrographis paniculata: results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studiesView study →.
A “safer analogue” of andrographolide:non-cytotoxic where andrographolide is cytotoxic, it suppresses NF-κB-driven inflammation in a mouse asthma model and shows emerging metabolic effects (liver, glucose, fat) 8,11,12,13Reference 8Guan SP et al. · 2011Protective role of 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide, a noncytotoxic analogue of andrographolide, in allergic airway inflammationView study →Reference 11Liu YT et al. · 2020AnimalA diterpenoid, 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide, in Andrographis paniculata reduces steatohepatitis and liver injury in mice fed a high-fat and high-cholesterol dietView study →Reference 12Kamaraj N et al. · 2023AnimalAntihyperglycemic activity of 14-deoxy, 11,12-didehydro andrographolide on streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced type 2 diabetic ratsView study →Reference 13Li CC et al. · 2018Li CC, Yen CC, Fan CT, Chuang WT, Huang CS, Chen HW, Lii CK (2018). 14-Deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide suppresses adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes by inhibiting CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β activation and AMPK-mediated mitotic clonal expansion. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30248417/View study →.
The honest headline:no controlled human trials of the isolate exist; oral bioavailability is only ~3%; and it modulates hepatic CYP450 enzymes, so drug-interaction caution applies 9,10Reference 9Yen CC et al. · 2019AnimalBioavailability of the diterpenoid 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide in rats and up-regulation of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme and drug transporter expressionView study →Reference 10Ooi JP et al. · 2011Andrographolide and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide inhibit cytochrome P450s in HepG2 hepatoma cellsView study →.
Evidence by IndicationStrength of support · Beta

Support is an experimental score — weighted by study type (human > animal > in vitro) and volume. A beta, not a validated metric. Every row here is preclinical isolate work: there are no human isolate trials, so scores stay modest by design.

Mechanisms

Target / pathwayEffectRelevant to
Endothelial NO synthase / guanylyl cyclase (NO–cGMP)stimulates nitric-oxide release → vascular smooth-muscle relaxation
cardiovascular / vasorelaxant
Vascular smooth musclevasorelaxation + reduced heart rate; most potent of the three diterpenoids
cardiovascular / vasorelaxant
Viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) nuclear export; viral NP mRNAblocks vRNP export and cuts NP mRNA → inhibits influenza A replication
antiviral
Pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6)suppresses the influenza cytokine surge → less lung injury
antiviral / anti-inflammatory
Caspase-9 intrinsic apoptotic pathwaymodulates apoptosis in infected lung epithelium
antiviral
NF-κB (incl. p50)inhibits NF-κB-driven inflammatory transcription
anti-inflammatory / anti-asthma
PKA–CREB–C/EBPβ and AMPKblocks adipocyte mitotic clonal expansion → anti-adipogenic
metabolic
Hepatic CYP450 (CYP1A, CYP2C, CYP3A) / UGT / transportersmodulates expression — induction in rat hepatocytes, down-regulation of CYP3A4 in HepG2
pharmacokinetics / drug interactions

The cardiovascular NO–cGMP action and the antiviral vRNP-export block are the two mechanisms that give this molecule an identity separate from andrographolide; the CYP450 modulation is the practical caution, because it points to drug-interaction potential 9,10Reference 9Yen CC et al. · 2019AnimalBioavailability of the diterpenoid 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide in rats and up-regulation of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme and drug transporter expressionView study →Reference 10Ooi JP et al. · 2011Andrographolide and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide inhibit cytochrome P450s in HepG2 hepatoma cellsView study →.

Pharmacokinetics

The isolate is lipophilic but poorly bioavailable orally. After a single 50 mg/kg oral dose in rats, plasma concentration peaked fast (Cmax ≈ 2.65 µg/mL at ~0.3 h) with a half-life of ~3.6 h, and absolute oral bioavailability was only ~3% 9Reference 9Yen CC et al. · 2019AnimalBioavailability of the diterpenoid 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide in rats and up-regulation of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme and drug transporter expressionView study →. That low figure — attributed to limited absorption and first-pass handling — is the class-wide limitation of andrographis diterpenoids and the main reason preclinical potency does not translate straightforwardly; nanoencapsulation has been reported to raise bioavailability roughly ten-fold in exploratory work 9Reference 9Yen CC et al. · 2019AnimalBioavailability of the diterpenoid 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide in rats and up-regulation of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme and drug transporter expressionView study →. The molecule also modulates hepatic drug-metabolising enzymes and transporters — up-regulating several CYPs, UGT1A1 and transporters in rat primary hepatocytes, while down-regulating CYP3A4 in HepG2 cells — a bidirectional CYP effect that flags drug-interaction potential rather than a clean single direction 9,10Reference 9Yen CC et al. · 2019AnimalBioavailability of the diterpenoid 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide in rats and up-regulation of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme and drug transporter expressionView study →Reference 10Ooi JP et al. · 2011Andrographolide and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide inhibit cytochrome P450s in HepG2 hepatoma cellsView study →. The one human PK dataset for the scaffold is for the intravenous succinate derivative (DAS), not the oral diterpenoid, so it does not describe the isolate’s oral behaviour 15Reference 15Chen Q et al. · 2012Pharmacokinetics and tolerance of dehydroandrographolide succinate injection after intravenous administration in healthy Chinese volunteersView study →.

Clinical Trials

There are no controlled clinical trials of the isolated molecule. Human evidence for andrographis is for standardised whole-herb extracts titrated to andrographolide (often combination products), within which this diterpenoid is an unquantified co-constituent. The only human-dosed member of the scaffold is the injectable dehydroandrographolide succinate, studied for viral pneumonia and characterised in healthy-volunteer PK work 14,15Reference 14Shang YX et al. · 2022Meta-analysisAdverse effects of andrographolide derivative medications compared to the safe use of herbal preparations of Andrographis paniculata: results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studiesView study →Reference 15Chen Q et al. · 2012Pharmacokinetics and tolerance of dehydroandrographolide succinate injection after intravenous administration in healthy Chinese volunteersView study →.

CompletedPlannedTerminatedPreclinical
None for the isolate (human data are whole-extract, andrographolide-standardised; DAS injectable is a separate derivative)——Antiviral(influenza), cardiovascular, anti-asthma, metabolic — all rodent/in-vitro isolate

Last checked: July 2026.

Isolate vs. Plant Studies

This molecule is an unusual case where the mechanistic evidence is mostly the isolate, but the human evidence is entirely the plant — and the plant’s is standardised to a different diterpenoid. The vasorelaxant, antiviral, anti-asthma and metabolic findings above all tested purified 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide (or, for the vascular work, compared it head-to-head against its siblings) 2,3,4,8Reference 2Yoopan N et al. · 2007Cardiovascular effects of 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide and Andrographis paniculata extractsView study →Reference 3Zhang CY · 1999Effects of 14-deoxyandrographolide and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide on nitric oxide production in cultured human endothelial cellsView study →Reference 4Cai W et al. · 2015Cai W, Li Y, Chen S, Wang M, Zhang A, Zhou H, Chen H, Jin M (2015). 14-Deoxy-11,12-dehydroandrographolide exerts anti-influenza A virus activity and inhibits replication of H5N1 virus by restraining nuclear export of viral ribonucleoprotein complexes. Antiviral Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25800824/View study →Reference 8Guan SP et al. · 2011Protective role of 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide, a noncytotoxic analogue of andrographolide, in allergic airway inflammationView study →. That is a genuine strength for reading the molecule’s own pharmacology. But there is no human trial of the isolate, and andrographis’s clinical record — for acute respiratory infection and inflammatory conditions — belongs to whole-herb extracts titrated to andrographolide, in which this compound rides along untested and unquantified 1Reference 1Hossain MS et al. · 2014ReviewAndrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees: a review of ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and pharmacologyView study →. The nearest thing to human exposure of the scaffold, the injectable dehydroandrographolide succinate, is a semi-synthetic derivative given intravenously — informative about the chemotype’s antiviral use, but not a stand-in for the oral diterpenoid 14,15Reference 14Shang YX et al. · 2022Meta-analysisAdverse effects of andrographolide derivative medications compared to the safe use of herbal preparations of Andrographis paniculata: results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studiesView study →Reference 15Chen Q et al. · 2012Pharmacokinetics and tolerance of dehydroandrographolide succinate injection after intravenous administration in healthy Chinese volunteersView study →. Read the two evidence bases separately: strong isolate mechanism, no isolate clinical data, and a plant record that is really andrographolide’s.

Prevalence in Nature

14-Deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide is, on current evidence, essentially an Andrographis diterpenoid. It occurs in the aerial parts (leaves and stems) of Andrographis paniculata as one of the three principal diterpene lactones and the herb’s second most abundant diterpenoid after andrographolide 1,9Reference 1Hossain MS et al. · 2014ReviewAndrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees: a review of ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and pharmacologyView study →Reference 9Yen CC et al. · 2019AnimalBioavailability of the diterpenoid 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide in rats and up-regulation of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme and drug transporter expressionView study →. A. paniculata is exceptionally rich in this chemical class — more than 55 ent-labdane diterpenoids have been described from the plant — and this molecule is a consistent, identifying member of that set used in chromatographic quality control 1Reference 1Hossain MS et al. · 2014ReviewAndrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees: a review of ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and pharmacologyView study →. It has not been reported as a major constituent of unrelated plant families; quantified content figures specific to this diterpenoid (percent dry weight, by plant part and chemotype) are not well established in the accessible literature and are logged as an open gap rather than asserted here.

Discovery & Synthesis

The molecule was isolated from the aerial parts of Andrographis paniculata during the twentieth-century phytochemical characterisation of the herb’s diterpene lactones, taking its place beside andrographolide and neoandrographolide as one of the plant’s principal diterpenoids 1Reference 1Hossain MS et al. · 2014ReviewAndrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees: a review of ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and pharmacologyView study →. Its most consequential chemistry came later and was applied, not academic: Chinese pharmaceutical development converted it into the water-soluble 3,19-disuccinate ester, dehydroandrographolide succinate (DAS / “Yanhuning”), which was approved as an intravenous antiviral for viral pneumonia and upper-respiratory infection and characterised pharmacokinetically in healthy volunteers 14,15Reference 14Shang YX et al. · 2022Meta-analysisAdverse effects of andrographolide derivative medications compared to the safe use of herbal preparations of Andrographis paniculata: results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studiesView study →Reference 15Chen Q et al. · 2012Pharmacokinetics and tolerance of dehydroandrographolide succinate injection after intravenous administration in healthy Chinese volunteersView study →. Modern supply of the isolate for research is by extraction and chromatographic purification from andrographis aerial parts; there is no indication that total synthesis is the practical source. A full first-total-synthesis attribution is not well documented in the accessible literature.

Patents: not yet researched.

Toxicity & Safety

The isolated molecule carries a low flag. Its defining safety feature is that it is non-cytotoxic — in the studies that introduced it as an anti-asthma agent it was explicitly a “safer analogue” of andrographolide, non-toxic to KB cells (ED50 > 20 µg/mL) where andrographolide is cytotoxic (~6.5 µg/mL) 8Reference 8Guan SP et al. · 2011Protective role of 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide, a noncytotoxic analogue of andrographolide, in allergic airway inflammationView study →. Acute-toxicity concern for the oral isolate is correspondingly modest. The real cautions are pharmacological and derivative-specific, not acute poisoning.

Safety at a Glance
Low / no toxicityDrug interactions
  • Non-cytotoxic isolate. Introduced as a “safer analogue” of andrographolide, non-toxic to cultured KB cells at concentrations where andrographolide is cytotoxic 8Reference 8Guan SP et al. · 2011Protective role of 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide, a noncytotoxic analogue of andrographolide, in allergic airway inflammationView study →.
  • The injectable derivative is a different risk. Dehydroandrographolide succinate and related andrographolide injections carry documented adverse-reaction rates (~3.7–5.5%) and rare, serious anaphylaxis in Chinese clinical use — the intravenous derivative, not the oral herb, is where the hazard sits 14Reference 14Shang YX et al. · 2022Meta-analysisAdverse effects of andrographolide derivative medications compared to the safe use of herbal preparations of Andrographis paniculata: results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studiesView study →.
  • Drug-interaction potential. The molecule modulates hepatic CYP450 enzymes (including CYP3A4) and transporters, so co-medication with CYP3A4 substrates warrants caution 9,10Reference 9Yen CC et al. · 2019AnimalBioavailability of the diterpenoid 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide in rats and up-regulation of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme and drug transporter expressionView study →Reference 10Ooi JP et al. · 2011Andrographolide and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide inhibit cytochrome P450s in HepG2 hepatoma cellsView study →.
  • Pregnancy — not established. Andrographis is traditionally cautioned in pregnancy and the diterpenoid class has reproductive signals in animals; the pregnancy/lactation decision belongs to the herb or product page, and no isolate-specific verdict is issued here.
Full Safety & Interactions Detail

The isolate vs. the injectable — the key distinction. A large systematic review and meta-analysis found that whole herbal preparations of A. paniculata were essentially safe (mainly mild-to-moderate GI and skin reactions), whereas andrographolide-derivative injections — including potassium sodium dehydroandrographolide succinate and potassium dehydroandrographolide succinate — carried adverse-reaction rates of roughly 3.7–5.5%, with 55 cases of life-threatening anaphylactic shock and three deaths across the injectable dataset 14Reference 14Shang YX et al. · 2022Meta-analysisAdverse effects of andrographolide derivative medications compared to the safe use of herbal preparations of Andrographis paniculata: results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studiesView study →. Because dehydroandrographolide succinate is the semi-synthetic ester of this molecule, that hazard is chemically adjacent — but it attaches to the intravenous derivative and route, not to the oral herb or the free diterpenoid. Off-label nebulisation of DAS has been explored precisely to avoid the injection’s reactions 14Reference 14Shang YX et al. · 2022Meta-analysisAdverse effects of andrographolide derivative medications compared to the safe use of herbal preparations of Andrographis paniculata: results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studiesView study →.

Drug interactions (name the enzyme). The molecule modulates hepatic cytochrome P450s and drug transporters: it up-regulated CYP1A, CYP2C, CYP3A, UGT1A1 and transporter expression in rat primary hepatocytes 9Reference 9Yen CC et al. · 2019AnimalBioavailability of the diterpenoid 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide in rats and up-regulation of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme and drug transporter expressionView study →, while in HepG2 cells it reduced CYP1A2, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 expression (a >50% fall in CYP3A4 at low concentrations) and blunted dexamethasone-induced CYP3A4 10Reference 10Ooi JP et al. · 2011Andrographolide and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide inhibit cytochrome P450s in HepG2 hepatoma cellsView study →. The direction differs by model, but the practical read is the same: potential to alter the metabolism of CYP3A4-handled co-medications. This is a mechanistic flag, not a quantified human interaction.

Reproductive / pregnancy note (prose only). No dedicated reproductive-toxicity dataset exists for the isolated diterpenoid. Andrographis as a herb is traditionally cautioned in pregnancy, and the diterpenoid class has antifertility/antiimplantation signals in animal work; pregnancy and lactation are per-herb / per-product decisions made where intake is decided, not on this molecule page. No comprehensive isolate genotoxicity or repeat-dose package is characterised here beyond the noncytotoxicity and derivative toxicology above.

Dosage

There is no established or recommended human dose for the isolated molecule. The figures that exist are preclinical: rat pharmacokinetic work used ~50 mg/kg orally 9Reference 9Yen CC et al. · 2019AnimalBioavailability of the diterpenoid 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide in rats and up-regulation of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme and drug transporter expressionView study →, and mouse antiviral studies dosed the isolate in a comparable range 5Reference 5Cai W et al. · 2016AnimalCai W, Chen S, Li Y, Zhang A, Zhou H, Chen H, Jin M (2016). 14-Deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide attenuates excessive inflammatory responses and protects mice lethally challenged with highly pathogenic A(H5N1) influenza viruses. Antiviral Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27476045/View study →. These are research doses in animals and do not convert to human self-dosing — the ~3% oral bioavailability alone makes such extrapolation unsafe 9Reference 9Yen CC et al. · 2019AnimalBioavailability of the diterpenoid 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide in rats and up-regulation of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme and drug transporter expressionView study →.

Human exposure to this diterpenoid in practice is indirect: it comes as an unquantified co-constituent of standardised andrographis extracts, which are dosed and titrated to andrographolide, not to this compound 1Reference 1Hossain MS et al. · 2014ReviewAndrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees: a review of ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and pharmacologyView study →. The only directly human-dosed member of the scaffold is the hospital injectable dehydroandrographolide succinate, a different molecule given intravenously under clinical supervision 15Reference 15Chen Q et al. · 2012Pharmacokinetics and tolerance of dehydroandrographolide succinate injection after intravenous administration in healthy Chinese volunteersView study →. These are research and clinical-derivative figures, not a personal recommendation.

References

  1. Hossain MS, Urbi Z, Sule A, Rahman KMH (2014). Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees: a review of ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and pharmacology. The Scientific World Journal. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25950015/
  2. Yoopan N, Thisoda P, Rangkadilok N, Sahasitiwat S, Pholphana N, Ruchirawat S, Satayavivad J (2007). Cardiovascular effects of 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide and Andrographis paniculata extracts. Planta Medica. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17650544/
  3. Zhang CY, Tan BKH (1999). Effects of 14-deoxyandrographolide and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide on nitric oxide production in cultured human endothelial cells. Phytotherapy Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10190192/
  4. Cai W, Li Y, Chen S, Wang M, Zhang A, Zhou H, Chen H, Jin M (2015). 14-Deoxy-11,12-dehydroandrographolide exerts anti-influenza A virus activity and inhibits replication of H5N1 virus by restraining nuclear export of viral ribonucleoprotein complexes. Antiviral Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25800824/
  5. Cai W, Chen S, Li Y, Zhang A, Zhou H, Chen H, Jin M (2016). 14-Deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide attenuates excessive inflammatory responses and protects mice lethally challenged with highly pathogenic A(H5N1) influenza viruses. Antiviral Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27476045/
  6. Cai W, Wen H, Zhou Q, Wu L, Chen Y, Zhou H, Jin M (2020). 14-Deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide inhibits apoptosis in influenza A(H5N1) virus-infected human lung epithelial cells via the caspase-9-dependent intrinsic apoptotic pathway which contributes to its antiviral activity. Antiviral Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32702348/
  7. Adiguna SP, Panggabean JA, Atikana A, Untari F, Izzati F, Bayu A, Rosyidah A, Rahmawati SI, Putra MY (2021). Antiviral activities of andrographolide and its derivatives: mechanism of action and delivery system. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34832884/
  8. Guan SP, Kong LR, Cheng C, Lim JCW, Wong WSF (2011). Protective role of 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide, a noncytotoxic analogue of andrographolide, in allergic airway inflammation. Journal of Natural Products. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21598983/
  9. Yen CC, Liu YT, Lin YJ, Yang YC, Chen CC, Yao HT, Chen HW, Lii CK (2019). Bioavailability of the diterpenoid 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide in rats and up-regulation of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme and drug transporter expression. Phytomedicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31035043/
  10. Ooi JP, Kuroyanagi M, Sulaiman SF, Muhammad TST, Tan ML (2011). Andrographolide and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide inhibit cytochrome P450s in HepG2 hepatoma cells. Life Sciences. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21219911/
  11. Liu YT, Chen HW, Lii CK, Jhuang JH, Huang CS, Li ML, Yao HT (2020). A diterpenoid, 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide, in Andrographis paniculata reduces steatohepatitis and liver injury in mice fed a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet. Nutrients. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32085637/
  12. Kamaraj N, Velumani K, Guru A, Issac PK (2023). Antihyperglycemic activity of 14-deoxy, 11,12-didehydro andrographolide on streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced type 2 diabetic rats. Molecular Biology Reports. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37856062/
  13. Li CC, Yen CC, Fan CT, Chuang WT, Huang CS, Chen HW, Lii CK (2018). 14-Deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide suppresses adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes by inhibiting CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β activation and AMPK-mediated mitotic clonal expansion. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30248417/
  14. Shang YX, Shen C, Stub T, Zhu SJ, Qiao SY, Li YQ, Wang RT, Li J, Liu JP (2022). Adverse effects of andrographolide derivative medications compared to the safe use of herbal preparations of Andrographis paniculata: results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studies. Frontiers in Pharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35153776/
  15. Chen Q, Liu Y, Liu YM, Liu GY, Zhang MQ, Jia JY, Lu C, Yu C (2012). Pharmacokinetics and tolerance of dehydroandrographolide succinate injection after intravenous administration in healthy Chinese volunteers. Acta Pharmacologica Sinica. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22902987/