Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Sulphur Heterocycles as Potent Anti-Inflammatory Agents: Insight Into the Synthetic Routes

Abstract

Nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur-containing heterocyclic compounds are broadly established as key scaffolds with potential chemical and biological properties. Benzimidazole, indole, benzoxazole, benzothiazole, pyrazole, and thiophene analogs are significant heterocyclic motifs that bear almost all pharmacological activities. Anti-inflammatory activity is one of the most commonly associated biological activities with these heterocycles and thus has attracted the interest of researchers to synthesize and study them in-depth. The present review highlights mainly the various synthetic methodologies utilized to prepare these diverse heterocycles and their associated pharmacological properties limited to anti-inflammatory activities. Further, this review will provide a comprehensive idea of the methodologies used to prepare biologically active nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur-bearing heterocycles and possibly invoke new thoughts in the search for rational designs for developing more promising anti-inflammatory agents.