Recent Advancements in Indole Derivatives and their Antimicrobial Perspective

Indole is an important heterocyclic molecule having a number of pharmacologically useful properties. Adolf von Baeyer synthesized indole by reducing oxindole in the presence of a catalytic amount of zinc dust in 1866. A number of studies have been conducted and many more are in the pipeline to investigate the medicinal potential of indole and its derivatives. Indomethacin, Indolmycin, Oxypertine, Yohimbine, Pindolol, and Delavirdine are indole containing drugs that are in high demand in the market. The present study aims to highlight the indole nucleus containing drugs developed by researchers over the last 25 years, with a focus on antibacterial and antifungal properties present in these drugs. The mode of action and Structure–Activity Relationship (SAR) of indole derivatives, which are responsible for antibacterial and other relevant actions, are also highlighted in the present review. To aid scientists in exploring future potential in this domain, the present study includes the key qualities and highlights of each research activity done by researchers especially related to synthetic derivatives of Indoles. All the available information on Indole derivatives was collected via electronic search (using Pubmed, SciFinder, Scirus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science) and the resources available in Central Library, IFTM University, Moradabad were also referred. The present review is based on literature collected and studied over the previous 23 years. This article will aid researchers in the development of new molecules with indole derivatives undoubtedly which must have improved antibacterial and other properties.