Biological Properties of Plant-Derived Alkylresorcinols: Mini-Review

Title:Biological Properties of Plant-Derived Alkylresorcinols: Mini-Review

Volume: 16 Issue: 11

Author(s): Ângelo Luís, Fernanda Domingues and Ana Paula Duarte

Affiliation:

Keywords: Alkylresorcinols, biological properties, phenolic lipids, resorcinols.

Abstract: Alkylresorcinols are compounds which belong to the family of phenolic lipids, and are usually found in numerous biological species. In the particular case of higher plants, alkylresorcinols have been found in various counterparts with chains of thirteen to twenty-seven carbon atoms containing several saturations. Due to the demonstrated antimicrobial properties of many naturally occurring members of the alkylresorcinols family, it is possible to conclude that these compounds act as defensive agents in plants. Previous studies led to the isolation and identification of 5-alkylresorcinols that cleave DNA. Additionally, in the literature, there are several other biological effects attributed to some resorcinol derivatives, namely, cytotoxic, anticarcinogenic, antiproliferative, antileishmanial and antioxidant properties. This mini-review intends to outline the biological activities of the most relevant alkylresorcinols isolated from plants and to propose future directions for subsequent studies regarding the effective biological effects of this class of compounds.

Cite this article as:

Luís Ângelo, Domingues Fernanda and Paula Duarte Ana, Biological Properties of Plant-Derived Alkylresorcinols: Mini-Review, Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry 2016; 16 (11) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389557516666160211121437