2-Arylindoles: A Privileged Molecular Scaffold with Potent, Broad-Ranging Pharmacological Activity

Privileged structures bind to multiple receptors with high affinity, thus aiding the development of novel biologically active compounds. Indoles are classed as privileged structures, and as a result of the indole nucleus being present in a broad range of biologically active molecules, it has been suggested that indoles probably represent the most important of all structural classes in drug discovery. Amongst the indole class of compounds is a particular subset – 2-arylindoles – which appear to be a most promising lead for drug development. This review summarises the wide-ranging activities of 2-arylindoles and some of their important biological activities reported in the literature over the past two decades.