Chalcone scaffolds as anti-infective agents: structural and molecular target perspectives.

In recent years, widespread outbreak of numerous infectious diseases across the globe has created havoc among the population. Particularly, the inhabitants of tropical and sub-tropical regions are mainly affected by these pathogens. Several natural and (semi) synthetic chalcones deserve the credit of being potential anti-infective candidates that inhibit various parasitic, malarial, bacterial, viral, and fungal targets like cruzain-1/2, trypanopain-Tb, trans-sialidase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), fumarate reductase, falcipain-1/2, β-hematin, topoisomerase-II, plasmepsin-II, lactate dehydrogenase, protein kinases (Pfmrk and PfPK5), and sorbitol-induced hemolysis, DEN-1 NS3, H1N1, HIV (Integrase/Protease), protein tyrosine phosphatase A/B (Ptp-A/B), FtsZ, FAS-II, lactate/isocitrate dehydrogenase, NorA efflux pump, DNA gyrase, fatty acid synthase, chitin synthase, and β-(1,3)-glucan synthase. In this review, a comprehensive study (from Jan. 1982 to May 2015) of the structural features of anti-infective chalcones, their mechanism of actions (MOAs) and structure activity relationships (SARs) have been highlighted. With the knowledge of molecular targets, structural insights and SARs, this review may be helpful for (medicinal) chemists to design more potent, safe, selective and cost effective anti-infective agents.