A Review on Biological Characterization of Isatin Analogues

Isatin (1H-indole-2,3-dione) is a versatile heterocyclic scaffold widely explored in medicinal chemistry due to its broad spectrum of biological activities. Structural modification of isatin leads to numerous analogues exhibiting significant pharmacological properties, including antimicrobial, anticancer, antiviral, anticonvulsant, and anti-inflammatory activities. The biological characterization of these analogues involves in vitro, in vivo, and computational approaches to understand structure–activity relationships (SAR), molecular targets, and mechanisms of action. This review summarizes recent advances in the biological evaluation of isatin derivatives, highlighting their therapeutic potential and future perspectives in drug discovery.