Terrein: Isolation, synthesis, and upscaling of a functional scaffold for multifaceted biomedical applications

Terrein, a secondary metabolite of mold Aspergillus terreus, was first isolated by Raistrick and Smith in 1935, and since then, many studies have been conducted, unveiling its plethora of biological applications. In this review, we present an extensive overview of terrein since its discovery, including its structure elucidation, recent advances in isolation methods, chemical and biosynthetic routes of synthesis, development of various upscaling methods, and multifaceted biomedical applications. This article also provides deeper insights into the specific molecular mechanisms underlying the pharmacological effects of terrein. Furthermore, emerging challenges and future prospects towards the advancement of terrein scaffold-based drugs are also discussed.