Lignans and Neolignans: Plant secondary metabolites as a reservoir of biologically active substances

Lignans and neolignans are plant secondary metabolites derived from the oxidative coupling of phenylpropanoids. Biological activity of these phenolic compounds ranges from antioxidant, antitumor (terminaloside P, IC50 = 10 nM), anti-inflammatory, anti-neurodegenerative (schibitubin B, IC50 = 3.2 nM) and antiviral (patentiflorin A, IC50 = 14–23 nM) to antimicrobial. In addition, it was observed that several members of this group, namely...