Unlocking the Pharmacological Potential of Benzimidazole Derivatives: A Pathway to Drug Development

Curr Top Med Chem. 2024;24(5):437-485. doi: 10.2174/0115680266283641240109080047.

Abstract

Heterocyclic molecules have fascinated a massive interest in medicinal chemistry. They are heterocyclic compounds that have gained significance due to their diverse variety of pharmacological activities. Benzimidazole is a heterocyclic compound consisting of benzene and imidazole rings. The ease of synthesis and the structural versatility of benzimidazole make it a promising scaffold for drug development. Many biological actions of benzimidazole derivatives have been well documented, including antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antitubercular, and anthelmintic properties. The mechanism of action of benzimidazole derivatives varies with their chemical structure and target enzyme. This review has explored numerous methods for producing benzimidazole derivatives as well as a broad range of pharmacological activities. SAR investigations are also discussed in this review as they provide crucial details regarding the essential structural qualities that benzimidazole derivatives must have in order to be biologically active, which could aid in the rational design of new drug candidates. Benzimidazole scaffold is an exclusive structure in drug design and discovery. Many new pharmaceutical drugs containing benzimidazole are anticipated to be available within the next ten years as a result of the extensive therapeutic applications of benzimidazole and its derivatives. This review inspired many researchers to develop more biologically active compounds bearing benzimidazole, expanding the scope of finding a remedy for other diseases. From this study, we concluded that 2-substituted benzimidazole was considered more extensively by researchers.

Keywords: Analgesic; Anti-inflammatory; Anti-microbial.; Antitumor; Antiviral; Benzimidazole; Green chemistry.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anthelmintics / chemical synthesis
  • Anthelmintics / chemistry
  • Anthelmintics / pharmacology
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Antiviral Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antiviral Agents / chemistry
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology
  • Benzimidazoles* / chemical synthesis
  • Benzimidazoles* / chemistry
  • Benzimidazoles* / pharmacology
  • Drug Development*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Structure
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • benzimidazole