Spiroindoles as Potential Pharmacophores

The spiroindole heterocyclic scaffold is found in many natural products and has been identified as an important bioactive agent. Over the past few decades, various spiroindole-containing compounds have been reported to possess biological properties and hence found in the structure of many synthetic pharmaceuticals. This mini-review describes the most promising examples of this class of compounds possessing biological activity including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. To the best of our knowledge, the earlier reviews did not cover the pharmaceutical properties of synthetic and naturally occurring spiroindoles; thus, the current review focuses on the biological activity of compounds containing the spiroindole scaffold.