5-Methyl-4-hydroxycoumarin polyketide meroterpenes (MPMs) are scattered in some genus,belonging to the tribes Mutisieae and Vernonieae of Compositae family,and was also considered as a chemotaxonomic marker.Meanwhile,their bidentate-type linkages,complex stereochemistry,and diverse bioactivities,especially,their insecticidal activity,have drawn the attention of the pharmacologists.Thus,this paper covers the biosynthetic pathway,structural classification,plants occurrence,taxonomic significance,and bioactivities of the MPMs that derives from a complex pathway involving an acetate-malonate pathway and a MVA and/or DXP pathway,providing a solid basis for the further research and development of these natural compounds.