Harnessing Chromone as a Versatile Scaffold for Emerging Biological Applications: Recent Advances and Medicinal Insights

Abstract

Chromones, characterized by a benzo-annulated γ-pyrone core, represent a privileged scaffold, offering a diverse pharmacological spectrum. Clinically approved drugs such as disodium cromoglycate and flavoxate underscore their therapeutic significance. Recent advancements in synthetic strategies have facilitated the development of novel chromone derivatives with improved bioactivity, selectively modulating key molecular targets implicated in cancer, inflammation, diabetes, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. Furthermore, their emerging utility as imaging probes and regulators of pharmacologically relevant targets, such as pyridoxal phosphatase (PDXP), highlights their expanding role in modern drug discovery. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent progress in the identification of bioactive chromone-based natural products and synthetic analogs, emphasizing their therapeutic potential. Additionally, critical innovations in recent synthetic methodologies and targeted therapeutic applications are discussed, reinforcing chromones as a sustainable and multifunctional framework for next-generation drug development.

Keywords: biological activities; chromones; drug discovery; natural products; synthesis.