Bioactivities and Structure–Activity Relationships of Natural Tetrahydroanthraquinone Compounds: A Review

Shixiu Feng,Weiyi Wang

doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.00799

Abstract

Tetrahydroanthraquinones are a kind of important microbial secondary metabolites with promising biological activities. Most of them were found in microorganisms, a few were derived from Chinese herbal medicine. In this review, aiming to provide basis for the further research and development of tetrahydroanthraquinone compounds, we summarized the physiological activities of natural tetrahydroanthraquinone compounds, including anti-cancer, anti-microbial, and antidiabetic activities. The source, structure, and action mechanisms of active tetrahydroanthraquinones are described in detail. Furthermore, this review firstly analyzed the structure–activity relationship of tetrahydroanthraquinones. Our study will serve as a valuable guideline for further research on the structural optimization, mechanism study, and development of tetrahydroanthraquinone as novel drugs. Aiming to provide references for further studies and development of tetrahydroanthraquinone compounds.

Highlights

Anthraquinones characterized by an anthraquinone scaffold structure, are widely distributed in plant as secondary metabolites
Anthraquinone compounds and their natural derivatives, especially tetrahydroanthraquinones, showed a considerably wide range of pharmacologica1 effects, and 60 tetrahydroanthraquinones have been found since altersolanol A was originally reported in 1967 (Stoessl, 1969b)
Anti-tumor, anti-microbial, antiviral activity, and antidiabetic activities of tetrahydroanthraquinones are summarized in detail, and 17 active ones are involved

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Anthraquinones characterized by an anthraquinone scaffold structure, are widely distributed in plant as secondary metabolites. Because of some of tetrahydroanthraquinones showing good pharmacological activity, such as anticancer, antibacterial, anti-malarial, and anti-viral, more and more researchers. Are being focused on the exploration of their pharmacological activity, mechanism, and structure activity relationships. Tetrahydroanthraquinones are generally classified into tetrahydro-9,10-anthraquinones, hydroxyphenanthrenes, tetrahydro-1,4-anthraquinones, and bi-tetrahydroanthraquinone, and according to their sources, tetrahydroanthraquinones can be divided into the ones from microorganisms and the ones from plants. Tetrahydro-9,10-Anthraquinones The tetrahydroanthraquinone ring is the fundamental parent nucleus of tetrahydroanthraquinones (Figure 1). A compound with single tetrahydroanthraquinone nucleus is called a tetrahydro-9,10-anthraquinone. There are nineteen tetrahydro-9,10-anthraquinones that were isolated from endophytes and marine strains (Table 1 and Figure 2). Most tetrahydro-9,10-anthraquinones isolated from microorganisms have a structure with 5-OH and 7-OCH3, and substituent groups

Altersolanol A

43 Bostrycin

CONCLUSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES