Annonaceae squamosa a source of acetogenins today

Abstract

Chemical studies on plants of the Annonaceae family have intensified in recent decades due to the discovery of molecules with medicinal potential. Moreover, until 2004, 593 acetogenins (ACG), 51 species in 13 genera were identified. This suggests that plants of this family allocate significant resources for the biosynthesis of these compounds. Despite the diversity of these molecules, their biological functions, including their physiological and ecological functions are not well understood. This paper presents a review of their knowledge, in particular on the biosynthetic pathway and biogenetic acetogenins, which will improve our understanding of secondary metabolism of these pharmacologically important molecules.