Covering: 2008 to 2015. A review on the isolation, biological activity and synthesis of pyranonaphthoquinone natural products from 2008–2015 is provided

This review discusses the isolation, biological activity and synthesis of pyranonaphthoquinone natural products, covering the years 2008–2015. The pyranonaphthoquinones are a group of metabolites sharing a common naphtho[2,3-c]pyran-5,10-dione ring system that have been isolated from a wide range of microorganisms, plants and insects. In addition to their synthetically challenging molecular structures, pyranonaphthoquinones exhibit a wide array of biological activity, including anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-cancer properties. The therapeutic potential of these compounds has led to a dynamic interplay between total synthesis and biological evaluation.