Exploiting the Anticancer, Antimicrobial and Antiviral Potential of Naphthoquinone Derivatives: Recent Advances and Future Prospects

Shouyan Xiang ^{1, 2}

Yubei Li ²

Shah Nawaz Khan ^{2, 3}

Weixin Zhang ⁴

Yuan Gaoyang ¹

Jiahua Cui ^{1, 2}

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School of Pharmacy, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, China |

School of Chemistry and Chemical engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China |

Department of Pharmacy, University of Malakand, Chakdara 18800, Pakistan |

⁴

School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China |

Publication type: Journal Article

Publication date: 2025-02-28

MDPI

Journal: Pharmaceuticals

scimago Q1

wos Q1

SJR: 0.845

CiteScore: 6.1

Impact factor: 4.3

ISSN: 14248247

DOI: 10.3390/ph18030350

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Abstract

Cancer remains a primary cause of mortality, with over 18.1 million new cases and 9.6 million deaths globally in 2018. Chemotherapy, which utilizes a spectrum of cytotoxic drugs targeting the rapidly dividing cancer cells, is a predominant treatment modality. However, the tendency of chemotherapeutics to induce drug resistance and exhibit non-specific cytotoxicity necessitates the development of new anticancer agents with heightened efficacy and minimized toxicity. In recent years, the discovery of safe and effective antibacterial/antiviral agents has also been a hot spot in medicinal chemistry. This paper comprehensively reviews the synthesis, anticancer/antibacterial/antiviral activity, and structure–activity relationships of natural 1,4-naphthoquinones and their derivatives. It highlights their potential as efficient and low-toxicity antitumor and anti-infectious drug candidates.