(3R,4S)-3,4,8-Trihy-droxy-1,2,3,4-tetra-hydro-naphthalen-1-one monohydrate from Embellisia eureka

Fungal Naphthalenones; Promising Metabolites for Drug Discovery: Structures, Biosynthesis, Sources, and Pharmacological Potential

Fungi are well-known for their abundant supply of metabolites with unrivaled structure and promising bioactivities. Naphthalenones are among these fungal metabolites, that are biosynthesized through the 1,8-dihydroxy-naphthalene polyketide pathway. They revealed a wide spectrum of bioactivities, including phytotoxic, neuro-protective, cytotoxic, antiviral, nematocidal, antimycobacterial, antimalarial, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory. The current review emphasizes the reported naphthalenone derivatives produced by various fungal species, including their sources, structures, biosynthesis, and bioactivities in the period from 1972 to 2021. Overall, more than 167 references with 159 metabolites are listed.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Natural cis-Dihydroarenediols Using Tetrahydroxynaphthalene Reductase and Its Biosynthetic Implications

Asymmetric reduction of hydroxynaphthoquinones to secondary metabolites, (3 S,4 R)-3,4,8- and (2 S,4 R)-2,4,8-trihydroxy-1-tetralone, a putative biosynthetic diketo intermediate and a probable natural analogue, (3 S,4 R)-7-acetyl-3,4,8-trihydroxy-6-methyl-3,4-dihydronaphthalene-1(2 H)-one, using NADPH-dependent tetrahydroxynaphthalene reductase (T₄HNR) of Magnaporthe grisea is described. This work implies the involvement of T₄HNR or related enzymes during the (bio)synthesis of other dihydroarenediols by reduction of the hydroxynaphthoquinone scaffold containing substrates.