Pinguisane-type sesquiterpenoids, unique secondary metabolites of liverworts: A review

Abstract

This review summarizes the current knowledge on pinguisane-type sesquiterpenoids, unique secondary metabolites of Hepaticae, their isolation, structural elucidation, possible biosynthetic pathways, total synthesis, and biological/pharmacological activities. Overall, 76 compounds are presented, the majority of which are isolated from or detected in liverwort material as secondary metabolites, while 4 compounds represent artifacts of the isolation procedure. Pinguisane-type sesquiterpenes can be used as chemotaxonomic markers for different taxonomic levels of liverworts, as well as to delineate chemical as well as evolutionary relationships within the Marchantiophyta phylum.