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).