Chalcones are naturally occurring aromatic ketones, consisting of an α, β-unsaturated carbonyl system linking two aromatic rings. It is a class of open chain flavonoids, abundantly found in plants of the families Leguminosae, Compositae and Moraceae, and present in fruits, vegetables, grains, roots, flowers, teas, wines, products regularly used for human consumption. Research that investigates the properties of chalcones has shown a broad spectrum of biological activity, which has been reinforcing since the isolation, synthesis, identification and investigation of biological effects. This study was carried out based on the scientific articles published on chalcones, emphasizing the following pharmacological activities: antioxidant, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic and anticonvulsant compared to the period of the last 10 years. It was verified that the reported activities prove that chalcones and their derivatives are substances of great chemical-pharmacological interest.