From clove oil to bioactive agents: synthetic routes, antimicrobial and antiparasitic activities of eugenol derivatives

Eugenol, a natural compound found in essential oils such as clove oil, has been extensively studied for its diverse biological activities including the therapeutic potential against microbial and parasitic infections. This review provides an overview of the synthetic strategies (shown in Supplementary Material) employed to develop bioactive derivatives and analogues derived from eugenol and related compounds (e.g., dihydroeugenol and isoeugenol), focusing on biological activity of more than 100 bioactive eugenol derivatives against bacterial, fungal, viral and protozoal pathogens. Through a comprehensive survey of literature, this paper shows the impact of structural modifications of these phenylpropanoids on antimicrobial and antiparasitic activity. Key findings highlight promising candidates for further development in antimicrobial drug discovery, suggesting directions for future research in the pursuit of effective therapeutic agents.