Plumbagin is a naturally occurring naphthoquinone isolated from roots of Plumbago zeylanica L. (also known as "Chitrak"). It is a  yellow dye with a number of antimicrobial properties. At present, the most exploited source of plumbagin is the roots of Plumbago spp. (Plumbago europea, P. rosea, P. zeylanica). However, these plants grows quite slowly and it takes long time until the roots are suitable for use. Therefore, it is advisable to search for alternative sources of plumbagin. The antimicrobial activity of plumbagin was evaluated using the macrodilution method. Plumbagin has been shown to exert anticancer and anti-proliferative activities in cells in culture as well as animal tumor models. What's more, plumbagin has been shown to exert anticarcinogenic, antiatherosclerotic, and antimicrobial effects.