Flavonoids and Their Synthetic Derivatives, Chemistry and Biological Applications - A Review
Abstract
The emergence of drug-resistant microbes has created an urgent need for new antimicrobial agents. Flavonoids, a diverse group of polyphenolic plant metabolites, have shown great promise in this regard due to their wide range of biological activities. While naturally occurring, flavonoids are the most extensively studied, semi-synthetic and synthetic flavonoid derivatives have demonstrated remarkable antimicrobial potential, often inhibiting or killing microbes at concentrations below 1 µg mL?¹. Their substitution patterns frequently include hydroxyl groups, halogens, or heteroatomic rings such as pyridine, piperidine, or 1,3-dithiolium cations, though the diversity of substituents, this complicates the establishment of clear structure–activity relationships. First isolated in 1930 from oranges and initially misclassified as vitamin P, flavonoids are now recognized as key plant secondary metabolites, with over 10,000 identified to date. They are abundant in fruits, grains, vegetables, tea, and wine, and have found applications across nutraceutical, medicinal, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. The broad utilization of flavonoids can be attributed to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, and anticancer properties, as well as their ability to modulate cellular enzyme functions. Chemically, flavonoids are hydroxylated phenolic compounds synthesized by plants in response to microbial infection, and their activity is strongly influenced by structural class, degree of hydroxylation, substitution, conjugation, and polymerization. Based on chemical structure, flavonoids are classified into six subclasses: flavonols, flavones, flavanols, flavanones, isoflavones, and anthocyanins, each with distinct biological profiles. This review highlights the chemistry and biological applications of flavonoids and their synthetic derivatives, emphasizing their potential as novel antimicrobial agents in the fight against drug-resistant pathogens.
Keywords
Flavonoids; Synthetic derivatives, antimicrobial agents, Drug resistance, Polyphenolic compounds, Antioxidant activity, Nutraceuticals.
Citations
IRE Journals:
ADEWOLE Esther Abisola , ALIMI Ayomide Basit , AGBONIFO Etinosa , OMOYELE Faith Princess; IKECHUKWU Uche Godwin , ABONYI Stanley Arinze; KAYODE Esther Abiola
"Flavonoids and Their Synthetic Derivatives, Chemistry and Biological Applications - A Review" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 9 Issue 3 2025 Page 130-138
IEEE:
ADEWOLE Esther Abisola , ALIMI Ayomide Basit , AGBONIFO Etinosa , OMOYELE Faith Princess; IKECHUKWU Uche Godwin , ABONYI Stanley Arinze; KAYODE Esther Abiola
"Flavonoids and Their Synthetic Derivatives, Chemistry and Biological Applications - A Review" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 9(3)
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