Quinones
Quinones are secondary metabolites that can be found in bacteria, plants
and a variety of other organisms (McErlean & Moody, 2007). Quinones,
which have been isolated from the marine environment and are bioactive
coloured molecules with an aromatic ring structure, have derivatives
that range in colour from yellow to red (Soliev et al., 2011).
Benzoquinones, naphthoquinones, and anthraquinones are the three primary
classes of quinones, with 1, 2, and 3 ring structures, respectively. The
fundamental subunit of quinone molecules is benzoquinone. Natural
quinones are a vast class of aromatic chemicals found in a wide range of
organisms, including algae, fungus (including lichens), bacteria,
flowering plants, and arthropods (Dulo et al., 2021). The methanolic
extract ofLenzites betulina yielded two free radical scavenging quinones,
betulinans A and B. These free radical scavengers have the potential to
defend against a variety of diseases, including atherosclerosis,
diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer. Himalomycins A and B are two
quinone antibiotics that are derived from the Streptomycesisolate B6921. They are effective against Bacillus subtilis,
Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli germs (Gopal et al.,
2013).
Quinones such as 2-hydroxy-9, 10-anthraquinone and naphthoquinone have
been obtained from bacteria such as Streptomyces olivochromogenesand Streptomyces sp. They are used in energy harvesting and
storage in areas such as artificial photosynthetic platforms and
dye-sensitized solar cells, among others (Dulo et al., 2021). For
thousands of years, humans have been fascinated by naturally occurring
quinones, which have vibrant hues and the potential to be used as dyes
and medications. Quinone derivatives, which have 1, 4-benzoquinone as a
subunit, have a wide range of medicinal uses, including antibacterial,
anticancer and antimalarial properties. In the laboratory (McErlean &
Moody, 2007). Embelin (2, 5-dihydroxy-3-undecyl-1, 4-benzoquinone) has
been shown to have anticancer and antioxidant characteristics. Quinones
have antiviral, anti-infective, antibacterial, insecticidal and
anticancer properties. They are also used as natural and synthetic
colours and pigments in many industries (Soliev et al., 2011).