abstract
- The large number of publications in 2013 dedicated to O- and S-six-membered ring systems highlights the importance of these heterocycles. The chemistry and biological activity of the family of plants Hyacinthaceae, and of their homoisoflavanone main constituents (13NPR1165) and of the fungal polyketide metabolites azaphilones (13CR4755) and various aspects on the isolation, synthesis, and biological activity of angular tricyclic benzofurans and related natural products of fungal origin (13NPR941) and marine polyketide psymberin (13AGE10960) have been surveyed. A review on the history of natural product synthesis covers the early phase of this subject, where it was the method of choice to confirm the proposed structure of a natural product, to the challenges of the twenty-first century (13AGE123).