Benzimidazole: A short review of their antimicrobial activities

Benzimidazole is the heterocyclic compound formed from benzene and imidazole ring containing nitrogen, oxygen sulphor and its derivatives are of wide interest because of their diverse biological activity and clinical applications, they are remarkably effective compounds both with respect to their inhibitory activity and their favourable selectivity ratio. Reported nucleus is a constituent of vitamin-B12. Benzimidazoles are regarded as a promising class of bioactive heterocyclic compounds that exhibit a range of biological activities like anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-diabetic, anticancer activity, numerous anti-oxidant, anti-parasitic, anti-helmintics, anti-proliferative, anti-HIV, anti-convulsant, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-neoplastic, proton pump inhibitor and anti-trichinellosis. Benzimidazoles exhibit significant activity as potential antitumor agents, smooth muscle cell proliferation inhibitors, a treatment for intestinal cystitis, and in diverse area of chemistry. Some of the important benzimidazole derivatives have been reported as thyroid receptor agonist gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor antagonists, non-nucleoside HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors and interestingly alkynylbenzimidazoles as modulators of metabotropic glutamate receptors. The imidazole core is a common moiety in a large number of natural products and pharmacologically active compounds. The synthesis of novel benzimidazole derivatives remains a main focus of medicinal research. This comprehensive overview summarizes the chemistry of different derivative of substituted benzimidazole along with their anti-microbial activity containing anti-malarial anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral activities.