Chemical and Medicinal Versatility of Substituted 1,4-Dihydropyridines

Background: Despite considerable evidence showing the importance of the 1,4- dihydropyridines, there are very few review articles which provide full access to systematic literature. This review aims to provide synthetic strategy of 1,4-dihydropyridines and medicinal application of different substituted dihydropyridines to develop potent molecules. Methods: A detailed structured search of bibliographic databases was undertaken for peer reviewed research literature using a focused criteria and by different database searches like Pubmed, Scifinder, Elsevier and ACS search. Results: Sixty six papers were included in the review. Molecules containing dihydropyridine scaffold bind to the L-type calcium channel and act as a multifunctional lead molecule for the various cardiovascular activities like antihypertensive, antianginal, vasodilator and cardiac depressants. Apart from the CVS activities, antitubercular, anticonvulsant, antitumor, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, stress protection, antiulcer and antioxidant activities were also observed. The present review highlights the reactivity of DHPs (dihydropyridines) including various synthetic routes as well as specified structural activity features with corresponding pharmacological activities. Conclusion: The findings of this review confirm the significance of a 1,4-dihydropyridines as a privileged scaffold in medicinal chemistry. The major role of this scaffold is in the prevention or treatment of the various diseases. The DHPs are versatile molecules, which exhibit various pharmacological activities such as antimicrobial, antihypertensive, anti-HIV, anticancer, etc.