Proflavine an acridine DNA intercalating agent and strong antimicrobial possessing potential properties of carcinogen

Proflavine finds a wide array of applications in clinical, therapeutic, industrial and cutting edge research. This study investigates properties of proflavine and brings out its current status based on overall merits and demerits. Review was carried out starting from late 1800s to 2017 about all aspects of proflavine. We have accessed digital libraries in University of Cambridge, Oxford University, Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology through their institutional repository software. Popular open source solutions like DSpace, EPrints, Digital Commons, Fedora Commons, Islandora and Hydra were included. Proflavine finds many applications including as an anti microbial agent and often used as a topical agent. This compound denatures bacterial DNA leading to lysis of bacteria. Due to its intercalating property it affects host DNA, which has potential chances to induce skin cancer and other malignancies. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) released by proflavine play a crucial role in denaturing host DNA. Proflavine can penetrate beyond epidermal and dermal structures and accumulate in cell nuclei. In human cell culture proflavine is known to be taken up by many kinds of cells and is concentrated in the nuclei. Our studies revealed that despite its oncogenic potential, proflavine currently finds its applications in therapeutic, diagnostic and in research not alone in developing countries but also in developed countries. Proflavine exhibited wide potent activity against various groups of microorganisms. After exposure in human skin proflavine alters the structure of epidermal DNA strands leading to mutation. Many industrial workers, researchers, health care professionals are exposed to proflavine in enormous amounts daily through oral, respiratory and cutaneous routes. We conclude that even though proflavine has strong antimicrobial and other uses due to its carcinogenic nature, we recommend that it is time to rethink the use of this compound and to search for good alternative replacement.