Synthetic Routes for the Development of Piperazine-Based Acetanilides and Their Medicinal Importance

Heterocyclic chemistry is one of the emerging branches of organic chemistry due to its growing attention in pharmacology. Piperazine is a dinitrogen-containing heterocycle that spans many applications, including anticancer, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, antimicrobial, antimalarial, antiviral, antitubercular, anti-inflammatory, activities etc. In a similar fashion, the second moiety, i.e., acetanilide, an N-phenylacetamide, also executed a large number of bioactivities, which included anticancer, antileishmanial, antipyretic, analgesic, antidiabetic, antiviral potential, etc. Both moieties have large-scale potential to show bioactivities in different aspects. When both moieties combine in a single molecule, it forms a potent biological compound. A number of precursors have been used for the synthesis of piperazine-based acetanilides. In this review, we have addressed different synthetic strategies that have been reported in the past. [GRAPHICS]