Available online www.jocpr.com Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research, 2016, 8(1):75-131 Review Article ISSN : 0975-7384 CODEN(USA) : JCPRC5 75 Recent progress in biologically active xanthones Arshdeep Singh a , Navdeep Kaur b , Sahil Sharma a * and Preet Mohinder Singh Bedi a a Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India b Department of Chemistry, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT Xanthone is a novel and pharmacologically important oxygen containing hetrocyclic ring exhibiting variety of potent biological activities. This fused tricyclic ring is derived naturally from the plants of Bonnetiaceae and Clusiaceae family as well as synthesized by employing various synthetic protocols. Their wide range of reported therapeutic attributes include α-glucosidase inhibition, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-asthmatic, anti-convulsant, xanthine oxidase inhibition and anti-microbial. Among these attributes, anti-cancer and anti-oxidant potential are comprehensively studied as evidenced by number of research papers. Although, there is no marketed formulation containing xanthone derivatives except some herbal formulations, their medicinal properties can not be neglected at all. Promising activities revealed by these compounds chains their use and places them ahead as potential drug candidates for the future studies. Therefore, the present review article is entirely an assemblage of recent research work that has been done on xanthones and their analogs as therapeutic agents. This review article can be reasonably encouraging for those engaged in the area of developing efficient and effective, single therapeutic agent exhibiting a wide range of biological activities involving xanthone as crucial and central nucleus. Keywords: α-glucosidase inhibition, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-asthmatic, anti-convulsant, xanthine oxidase inhibition, anti-microbial _____________________________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION Heterocycles coins an exceedingly important class of compounds that form the basis of many pharmaceutical, agrochemical and veterinary products [1-3]. Many natural drugs such as quinine, papaverine, emetine, theophylline, atropine, procaine, codeine, morphine and reserpine are heterocyclic in nature. There are large number of natural and synthetic heterocyclic compounds containing pyrrole, pyrrolidine, furan, thiophene, piperidine, pyridine and thiazole having important applications [4]. Some of the heterocyclic drugs possessing varried biological activities are shown in Figure 1. Xanthone is a special class of oxygenated tricyclic compounds which exhibits various interesting biological activities depending upon the nature and pattern of substitutions [15-17]. Xanthones are frequently valued as an effective pharmacophore in the field of medicinal chemistry [18]. Earlier, xanthones were introduced as insecticide, larvicide and ovicide codling moth eggs [19]. Later, it has been found in some scientific studies that xantone derivatives can prevent the development of cancer cells and also possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties [20]. Xanthones are derived naturally from the plants of Bonnetiaceae and Clusiaceae family and are also found in some species of Podostemaceae, Guttiferae and Gentianaceae family [21]. There are some herbal formulations in the market having xanthone derivative as one of their active ingredient: