Covering: 2000 to 2004
Lignans are a class of secondary plant metabolites produced by oxidative dimerization of two phenylpropanoid units. Although their molecular backbone consists only of two phenylpropane (C6–C3) units, lignans show an enormous structural diversity. There is a growing interest in lignans and their synthetic derivatives due to applications in cancer chemotherapy and various other pharmacological effects. This review deals with lignans possessing anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities, and comprises the data reported in more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, so as to highlight the recently reported bioactive lignans that could be a first step towards the development of potential new therapeutic agents.
