Total synthesis of natural products containing benzofuran rings

Research on natural products containing benzofuran has remarkably increased during the past few decades. Newly isolated natural products with complex structures are being studied, characterized and screened for possible biological activities. Several of such compounds have exhibited various biological activities, thus their total syntheses have attracted much attention from synthetic organic chemists. In this review, we aim to highlight the origins, structures, biological potencies, and synthetic approaches of those natural products bearing at least one benzofuran in their complex structures. Furthermore, we especially focus on the step in which this key heterocycle is installed during the total synthesis of a natural product as the desired target.