The properties of benzimidazole and its derivatives have been studied over more than one hundred years. Benzimidazole derivatives are useful intermediates/subunits for the development of molecules of pharmaceutical or biological interest. Substituted benzimidazole derivatives have found applications in diverse therapeutic areas such as antiulcer, anticancer agents, and anthelmintic species to name just a few. This work systematically gives a comprehensive review in current developments of benzimidazole-based compounds in the whole range of medicinal chemistry as anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, analgesic agents, anti-HIV, antioxidant, anticonvulsant, antitubercular, antidiabetic, antileishmanial, antihistaminic, antimalarial agents, and other medicinal agents. This review will further be helpful for the researcher on the basis of substitution pattern around the nucleus with an aim to help medicinal chemists for developing an SAR on benzimidazole drugs/compounds.

The majority of heterocycle compounds and typically common heterocycle fragments present in most pharmaceuticals currently marketed, alongside with their intrinsic versatility and unique physicochemical properties, have poised them as true cornerstones of medicinal chemistry. In this context, oxygen heterocycles exhibit diverse biological and pharmacological activities due in part to the similarities with many natural and synthetic molecules with known biological activity. Among oxygen containing heterocycles, benzofuran (synthetic and natural isolated) and its derivatives have attracted medicinal chemists and pharmacologists due to their pronounced biological activities and their potential applications as pharmacological agents such as antioxidant, antitumor, antiplatelet, antimalarial, antiinflammatory, antidepressant and anticonvulsant properties. There are also an amazing number of approved benzofuran-containing drugs in the market as well as compounds currently going through different clinical phases or registration statuses. Due to the wide range of biological activities of benzofurans, their structure activity relationships have generated interest among medicinal chemists, and this has culminated in the discovery of several lead molecules in numerous disease conditions. Recently, this scaffold has emerged as a pharmacophore of choice for designing antioxidant drug development as their derivatives have shown excellent results through different mechanism of action. This review focused on the recent development of benzofuran derivatives as antioxidant agents (including natural products) and their antioxidant activities; summarize the structure property, hoping to inspire new and even more creative approaches. Also, this study systematically provides a comprehensive report on current developments in benzofuran-based compounds as antioxidant agents and is also helpful for the researchers working on a substitution pattern around the nucleus, with an aim to help medicinal chemists to develop structure activity relationships (SAR) on these derivatives as antioxidant drugs.

The present article systematically gives a comprehensive review of current development of benzofuran-based compounds as antimicrobial agents and the perspectives that they hold for future research.