This review focuses on recent advances in our understanding of the complex biosynthetic pathways and diverse biological activities of naturally occurring xanthones. The biosynthesis section covers studies published from 1989 to 2008 on xanthone production in plants and fungi, while the bioactivity review presents tabulated activities of more than 250 xanthones described in studies published from 2001 to 2008, together with structural information and indications of their wide-ranging potential uses as pharmacological tools. A large number of relevant papers have been published on these subjects (128 cited here), illustrating the diversity of the xanthones and their possible uses.
In this review, an updated literature survey covering the reports of naturally occurring xanthones in the period of 2005-2008 is presented. In some 143 studies, the isolation of 264 different xanthones from 36 plant species (representing 15 genera in 6 families of higher plants), 7 species of fungi, and 1 lichen species were reported. Of these, 122 compounds were isolated for the first time from nature. We discuss plant origin, the way of separation, and spectral analysis done for structure elucidation, along with a brief discussion of the chemosystematic significance.
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