Structural and bioactive properties of 3-O-methylfunicone

In recent years, the ongoing need for novel pharmaceuticals to be introduced in human medicine has substantially benefited from the widespread research activity on the role of bioactive microbial compounds involved in the regulation of interactions with other organisms. A good example is represented by 3-O-methylfunicone, a benzo-γ-pyrone metabolite at first characterized on account of the antifungal aptitude of the producing strain, which has later become more valuable for its antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic properties resulting in a series of studies on human tumor cell lines. An overview of aspects concerning molecular structure, sources, and biological properties of this compound is offered in the present paper.