A Review on Isatin and Its Derivatives: Synthesis, Reactions and Applications

Abstract

Isatin, also known as 1H-Indole-2, 3-Dione, is an eight-carbon containing endogenous compound found in nature. Erdmann and Laurent synthesized isatin in 1840, before it was discovered in nature. It is versatile and distributed in tissues and body fluids. Isatins have also been detected in mammalian tissue, and their function as a biochemical process modulator has been the focus of many debates. The isatin moiety also shows some important chemical reactions such as oxidation, N-Acylation, Friedel-Crafts reaction, N-Halogenation, etc. Antitumor, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, antiviral, anti-HIV, antioxidant, and CNS depressant functions are all possessed by simple isatin nucleus. Substituted derivatives of this compound also have these properties. The isatin derivatives are effective inhibitors of the urease and α-glucosidase enzymes. This review provides a brief overview on the some commonly used procedures to synthesize the isatin moiety and its derivatives, its physical properties, reactions and biological activities.