Research Progress on Chemical Compositions, Pharmacological Activities, and Toxicities of Quinone Compounds in Traditional Chinese Medicines.

With the continuous development of research on natural medicines, quinone compounds have become increasingly important in the research field of chemical constituents of natural treatments. However, there is a lack of in-depth and systematic collation of their types, distribution, pharmacological activities, and potential toxicities. This article comprehensively reviews the structural types, biogenetic pathways, extraction and separation methods, structural identification techniques, pharmacological activities, and toxicities of quinone compounds. It is found that the main difficulties in the research of quinone compounds lie in the cumbersome traditional separation and structural identification processes, as well as the insufficient in-depth studies on the mechanisms of their activities and toxicities. This review aims to provide a reference for research on quinone compounds in natural products and offer ideas and suggestions for subsequent in-depth exploration of the pharmacological activities of quinone compounds, prevention and control of their toxicities, and the realization of rational drug use.