Naphthoquinones and Anthraquinones: Chemical, Analytical, and Biological Overview

AbstractNaphthoquinones and anthraquinones are a well‐studied class of molecules that play a role in preventing and treating various illnesses. A thorough literature search shows that these molecules are potent antifungal, anticancer, antidiabetes, and neuroprotective agents. In addition to their beneficial properties, naphtho‐ and anthraquinones have toxicological effects mainly due to their presence as photoproducts in air pollutants. The analytical detection of naphtho‐ and anthraquinones is problematic because of the following properties: first is their ability to undergo fast redox cycling and second is their potential to bind thiol, amine, and hydroxyl groups. The possibility of using labeled compounds along with the recent advances of the available analytical techniques facilitated their detection and allowed a better understanding of their mechanism of action. This chapter summarizes the current knowledge with respect to the biological activities of naphtho‐ and anthraquinones as well as their chemical reactivity in an attempt to understand the mechanism by which they exert their effects. An overview about their analytical detection is also presented.