ortho-Quinols in (Bio)Synthesis of Natural Products

6-Alkyl-6-hydroxycyclohexa-2,4-dienone derivatives, commonly referred to as ortho-quinols, and their simple ester and ether variants constitute a class of organic compounds that aroused much interest amongst chemists over the past 70 years for several reasons related to organic synthesis, natural product chemistry and biochemistry. It was very early on that organic chemists understood the potential of the unique yet versatile chemical reactivity of such compounds to synthesize more complex structures, and it soon emerged that ortho-quinols could constitute key intermediates in the biosynthesis of certain natural products of various origins. This minireview discusses the chemistry of ortho-quinols from the point of view of their role in the synthesis and biosynthesis of natural products. Examples of completed syntheses of natural products mostly taken in the literature of the last 20 years or so, together with some chosen pieces from older but pioneering and most remarkable works, are highlighted to illustrate this discussion.