Abstract

Emodin (6-methyl-1,3,8-trihydroxyanthraquinone) is a natural anthraquinone derivative with potential pharmacological effects to be developed into a drug candidate. Emodin can be synthesized or extracted from natural products to ensure its availability. This review describes the source of emodin, existing extraction, and synthesis methods, additionally with recent methods for the synthesis of analogs and derivatives that have been performed to improve the physicochemical and pharmacological qualities of emodin.