Mini-Reviews in Organic Chemistry - Volume 23, Issue 1, 2026

This article provides a review of the paramount lipase-catalyzed strategies employed in the preparation of (2R,3S)-3-amino-2-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionic acid, several of its derivatives, and precursor 2-azetidinones through β-lactam ring opening, OAc hydrolysis, COOEt hydrolysis, O-acylation, and sequential kinetic resolution through a two-step cascade reaction. It involves OAc hydrolysis followed by β-lactam ring opening and β-lactam ring opening followed by hydroxymethyl group degradation of the corresponding racemic compounds, reported over the last 15 years. A brief introduction describes the pharmaceutical and chemical importance of the Taxol molecule as well as various synthetic methods involving its side chain and it delineates the key objectives of this mini-review. The strategies are classified on the basis of reaction types and are presented in chronological order, discussing kinetic and sequential kinetic resolutions in the main text. These reactions yield the intended products, exhibiting excellent enantiomeric excess values.

Bioorthogonal chemistry explores a set of technologies to incorporate non-native functional groups into biological systems to understand the mechanism of biological processes in living organisms. Among the conjugation strategies available on the bench, the use of biocatalysis as part of bioorthogonal conjugation has been found to be one smart tool to achieve chemoselective functional group installation. The process designing utilizes high substrate specificity of biocatalyst, resulting in a targeted addition of a reactive non-native functional group to a native biomolecule followed by tagging with a suitably detectable moiety and thereby monitoring the salient biological processes involving the conjugated assembly. The present study tries to briefly address the synthetic strategies with mechanistic elaboration involving various transferases with different suitable models and the underlying reactions involved in bioorthogonal processes.

The relentless rise in cancer incidence has sparked an urgent quest for a treatment. For centuries, natural product resources have been the bedrock of medicinal and pharmaceutical industries, capturing the interests of researchers to explore more on the potential of natural products to treat illnesses. Above all, β-carbolines derived from alkaloids are well-known for their various biological and pharmacological properties. In this work, we review the methodologies to synthesize 3,9-disubstituted β-carbolines framework through Pictet–Spengler, metal-catalysed cross-coupling, and multicomponent reactions. In addition, this study aims to investigate how the structural modifications affect their biological activities, with an emphasis on anticancer and antibacterial properties. Besides, the modifications at the C-3 and N-9 positions were evaluated for efficiency and selectivity towards 3,9-disubstituted β-carbolines. This article also highlighted the adaptability of 3,9-disubstituted β-carbolines scaffolds for further use in drug development.

Thiazolidinones and their 5-ene derivatives have become pivotal in organic and medicinal chemistry due to their diverse pharmacological potential. These compounds have been widely explored for their therapeutic applications, with thiazolidine-based frameworks yielding numerous biologically active molecules. This review consolidates various synthetic approaches to thiazolidinone and 5-ene derivatives, including core modifications, one-pot or multistage syntheses, and transformations of related heterocycles. The manuscript highlights key pharmacological targets of thiazolidinones, ranging from initial hit compounds to fully developed drugs. Specifically, thiazolidinone-rhodanines often appear as frequent hitters or pan-assay interference compounds in high-throughput screens. Studies have shown that modifications at the C5 carbon, particularly through the addition of a 5-ene fraction, enhance the pharmacological profile of these compounds. Additionally, the review addresses substitutions at the C5 and N3 positions, including 5-ene and carboxyl groups, and discusses the biological utility of these modifications. Integrating pharmacologically active groups within a heterocyclic system often results in enhanced bioactivity. The review highlights innovative synthetic strategies for thiazolidinone derivatives, emphasizing the potential of these compounds to explore a broad spectrum of biological activities through structural diversity and targeted modifications.