An insights into structural diversity of β-lactam scaffold towards varied medicinal applications: A comprehensive update (2020–2024)

Abstract

β-Lactams have long been a cornerstone in the treatment of various bacterial infections, largely due to their unique structure–activity relationship with pathogenic bacteria. Significant efforts have been devoted in the literature to the development of novel β-lactam compounds and their subsequent medicinal evaluation. Moreover, the structural diversity in β-lactam derivatives has garnered significant interest in medicinal arena. Therefore, in this review thoroughly discusses the impact of structural diversity on various medicinal applications, which can be achieved through multiple synthetic approaches, including stereoselective reactions, heterocyclic fusion, regioselective modifications, and metal-catalyzed transformations. Additionally, the occurrence of functional groups such as electron-donating or electron-withdrawing groups in structurally diverse β-lactam scaffolds has been explored to assess their medicinal impact. Furthermore, β-lactam compounds have increasingly attracted interest in medicinal chemistry because of their many other remarkable biological activities. Through the analysis of stereoselectivity, heterocyclic motifs, and the impacts of functional groups, we highlight the compounds noteworthy for medicinal applications, including anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-viral, anti-tubercular, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-malarial activity. Owing to these captivating pharmacological properties, this review provides a comprehensive update on the varied medicinal applications of β-lactam scaffolds, emphasizing a wide range of examples from 2020 to 2024.