Abstract
Caged xanthones are a class of natural compounds with approximately 200 members that are commonly isolated from the Garcinia genus in the Clusiaceae (formerly Guttiferae) family. They are often characterized by a notable 4-oxa-tricyclo[4.3.1.03,7]dec-2-one (caged) architecture with a common xanthone backbone. Because most caged xanthones have potent anticancer properties, they have become a target of interest in natural product chemistry. The unique chemical architectures and increasingly identified biological importance of these compounds have stimulated many studies and intense interest in their isolation, biological evaluation and mechanistic studies. This review summarizes recent progress and development in the chemistry and biological activity of caged Garcinia xanthones and of several compounds of non-Garcinia origin, from the years 2008 to 2021, providing an in-depth discussion of their structural diversity and medicinal potential. A preliminary discussion on structure-activity relationships is also provided.
Highlights
Garcinia is a pantropical genus of plants consisting of more than 400 species native to South America, Africa, India and East Asia [1, 2]
The B ring is typically a benzene ring substituted with hydroxyl and R groups (H, methyl or substituents shown in Figure 2) in various positions
Since the isolation of morellin in 1937, a total of 194 caged xanthones have been identified mostly from Garcinia species, and several have been identified from Cratoxylum plants
Summary
Garcinia is a pantropical genus of plants consisting of more than 400 species native to South America, Africa, India and East Asia [1, 2]. For their long history, the fruits, pericarp, epicarp and seeds of Garcinia species have been used in traditional medicine for treating ulcers, wounds, suppuration, dysentery and diarrhea [3, 4]. This review does not attempt to overlap with those excellent published works but instead focuses on the structural diversity and biological investigation of newly isolated caged xanthone compounds from the years 2008 to 2021.
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