::The benzofuranyl motif present in compounds exhibits various medicinal properties and
non-drug applications. These derivatives are naturally occurring compounds or synthetic materials,
which cover a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities like anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-
depressant, anti-HIV, anti-microbial, anti-proliferative, anti-convulsant, cytotoxic, analgesic, etc.
Few of the commercially interesting compounds from this class are, ailanthoidol (anti-inflammatory),
amiodarone, dronedarone, celivarone (anti-arrhythmic), bufuralol (muscular airways relaxant), morphine,
5-(2-aminopropyl)benzofuran; 5-APB, 6-(2-aminopropyl)benzofuran; 6-APB (CNS), rifampicin
(antibiotic), etc., whereas, some of the non-drug applications are in perfumery industry (bergapten)
and as tannin activators in sunscreen preparations (psoralen, 8-methoxypsoralen, and angelicin).
Considering these interesting biological activities and commercial utilities, a review on the synthetic
aspects of this privileged scaffold was attempted. For the benefit of natural product-based drug discovery,
available sources of these derivatives, extraction process and reported biological activities
have also been outlined in this review.