Marine-Derived Xanthone from 2010 to 2021: Isolation, Bioactivities and Total Synthesis

Abstract

Marine life has proved to be an invaluable source of new compounds with significant bioactivities, such as xanthones. This review summarizes the advances made in the study of marine-derived xanthones from 2010 to 2021, from isolation towards synthesis, highlighting their biological activities. Most of these compounds were isolated from marine-derived fungi, found in marine sediments, and associated with other aquatic organisms (sponge and jellyfish). Once isolated, xanthones have been assessed for different bioactivities, such as antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxic properties. In the latter case, promising results have been demonstrated. Considering the significant bioactivities showed by xanthones, efforts have been made to synthesize these compounds, like yicathins B and C and the secalonic acid D, through total synthesis.

Biosynthetic Pathways of Dimeric Natural Products Containing Bisanthraquinone and Related Xanthones

“…[10][11][12][13] Moreover, the study on the gene cluster and biosynthetic pathways of natural products attracts attention of chemists, biologists, and pharmacists, because they might help scientists improve the production through metabolic engineering and modify the structure by enzyme engineering to produce a series of derivatives. [14,15] Anthraquinone [16][17][18][19][20][21] and the related xanthone [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] are important skeletons widely occurring in bioactive compounds with the anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, and neuroprotection effects. In addition to anthraquinone and the related xanthone monomers, dimeric natural products containing bisanthraquinone [32] and related xanthones [33] show not only great bioactivities against bacteria and cancer cells, also excellent photodynamic activity for potential applications in photodynamic therapy (Figure 1).…”

Ferroptosis Inhibitory Compounds from the Deep-Sea-Derived Fungus Penicillium sp. MCCC 3A00126

“…Systematic chemical investigation of the deep-sea fungus Penicillium sp. 3A00126 yielded 36 compounds, comprising fifteen xanthones (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15), six anthraquinones (16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21), five sesquiterpenoids (22)(23)(24)(25)(26), four diphenyl ethers (27)(28)(29)(30), one polyketone (31), four indole alkaloids (32)(33)(34)(35), and one steroid (36). Compound 1, named 11-O-acetylaspergillusone B, is a new tetrahydroxanthone, and compound 2, 7-dehydroxyhuperxanthone A, is a new, fully aromatic xanthone.…”

“…From 2010 to 2021, 100 marine xanthones were reported, among which 51 were new compounds. Most of the new xanthones were derived from marine fungi, especially deep-sea fungi isolated from deep-sea sediments or organisms [17]. Therefore, deep-sea-derived fungi are undoubtedly an important resource for the discovery of xanthones with novel structures and significant bioactivities.…”

Anti-Tumor Secondary Metabolites Originating from Fungi in the South China Sea’s Mangrove Ecosystem

“…Xanthones are dibenzo-pyrone-structured aromatic oxygenated heterocyclic compounds. This molecule may accept different substituents at various places, which are known as privileged scaffolds in the quest for novel medications [ 65 ]. There are nine members characterized in this group.…”