Xanthones as natural compounds with a wide spectrum of biological activity

One of the fields of research involving new substances with potential therapeutic effects is folk medicine. In indigenous cultures, including Far Eastern culture, medicine is based on beliefs and superstitions, passed down from generation to generation, concerning the effects of certain substances contained in plants, herbs or spices. Science very often uses traditional knowledge as a source of information. Observation of everyday life and customs of this culture became the starting point for this research on the plants of the family Clusiacaceae Lindl. Substances included in the different parts of these plants are used as anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antiparasitic, antimicrobial, antifungal and anti-cancer drugs. Many studies have led to the isolation of compounds with different properties and uses, called xanthones. It is an interesting group which can be divided into natural and synthetic xanthone derivatives. On the other hand, xanthones are divided by the chemical structure and chemical ring synthesis. Many new xanthone derivatives are produced to evaluate the dependence of biological activity on the przeciwpasożytnichemicalstructure of these compounds. The most popular natural xanthones are α-mangostinand gambogic acid. Xanthones are tested in various aspects, but their most important featureis their strong antitumor activity. The distinct mechanism of action of xanthone derivativesand the limited number of side effects give great hope for the use of xanthones in anticancertherapy, as monotherapy drugs or as substances that support current chemotherapy.