Cytotoxic and antioxidant marine prenylated quinones and hydroquinones

Covering: 1972 to 2011 This review covers the literature of prenylated quinone, hydroquinone and naphthoquinone marine natural products with reported cytotoxic and/or antioxidant properties. The structures, biological activity and, where applicable, the syntheses of 159 cytotoxic/antioxidant compounds, isolated from various marine organisms, are presented, while trends in the distribution of these cytotoxic metabolites, across the different marine phyla, are highlighted. Marine prenylated quinones, hydroquinones and naphthoquinones are of mixed polyketide and terpenoid biogenesis and recent biosynthetic studies of selected compounds are discussed. This review focuses on 159 prenylated quinones, hydroquinones and naphthoquinones with reported cytotoxic and/or antioxidant properties isolated from various marine organisms over the past 40 years. Interesting trends in the structural distribution of these cytotoxic compounds within the different marine phyla are highlighted while the biosynthesis of selected compounds are included where relevant.