, ▁and ▁the ▁rac em ic ▁mixture ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁sh ik alk in . ▁ ▁The ▁en zym e ▁ 4 - h ydro xy ben zo ate ▁ger any l trans fer ase ▁util izes ▁ger any l ▁di ph osph ate ▁and ▁ 4 - h ydro xy ben zo ate ▁to ▁produce ▁ 3 - ger any l - 4 - h ydro xy ben zo ate ▁and ▁di ph osph ate . ▁These ▁comp ounds ▁are ▁then ▁used ▁to ▁form ▁alk ann in . ▁ ▁Al k ann in ▁is ▁an ▁ant io x id ant ▁and ▁has ▁an ▁ant im icro b ial ▁effect ▁against ▁St ap hy loc oc cus ▁a ure us ▁and ▁St ap hy loc oc cus ▁e pid erm id is . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁w ound ▁he aling , ▁ant it um or , ▁and ▁ant ith rom bot ic ▁properties . ▁ ▁Sh ikon in ▁is ▁also ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁Chinese ▁her bal ▁medicine ▁plant ▁Lith os perm um ▁er yth ror h izon , ▁the ▁red - root ▁g rom well , ▁( <0xE7> <0xB4> <0xAB> 草 ▁z ica o , ▁P iny in : ▁z ǐ c ǎ o ). ▁ ▁Sh ikon in ▁is ▁a ▁plant ▁secondary ▁met abol ite ▁that ▁has ▁attract ed ▁high ▁research ▁attention ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁notable ▁ph arm ac ological ▁activities , ▁which ▁include ▁ant im icro b ial , ▁ant ican cer , ▁w ound