Benzo-oxepines and dibenzo-oxepines, a unique class of naturally occurring secondary metabolites, are distributed mainly in plants and fungi and have received much attention from phytochemists and biologists based on their fascinating structural features and health-promoting functions. This review summarizes 100 oxepine derivatives comprising three categories: benzo-oxepine, dibenzo-oxepine, and pyrano-oxepine. Studies on various structural features and pharmacological activities of oxepine derivatives promote further in-depth research on these potent natural products. This review portrays the natural occurrence, bioactivity and biosynthesis of oxepines reported from 1984 to 2021.
Keywords: benzo-oxepines; biological profiles; biosynthesis; dibenzo-oxepines; natural occurrence; secondary metabolites.
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