Figure 2.

The natural structure, along with the function and different statin categories. The natural structure of statins includes a hexahydronaphthalene ring system and a polyketide structure. R1 and R2 are replaced by specific functional groups, according to different statins. Statins inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, a rate-limiting enzyme in the mevalonate pathway, which is responsible for producing cholesterol in the liver. Statins also promote SREBP-2 expression, which functions as a transcription factor for many genes related to lipid homeostasis regulation, including LDLR. LDLR presence on the membranes increases cholesterol absorption into the hepatocytes and other cells, helping to reduce plasma cholesterol levels. Information obtained from [111,112,119,120,121,122]. This Figure is created with BioRender.com.