Abstract

The heterocyclic compounds have a great significance in medicinal chemistry because they have extensive biological activities. Cancer is globally the leading cause of death and it is a challenge to develop appropriate treatment for the management of cancer. Continuous efforts are being made to find a suitable medicinal agent for cancer therapy. Nitrogencontaining heterocycles have received noteworthy attention due to their wide and distinctive pharmacological activities. One of the most important nitrogen-containing heterocycles in medicinal chemistry is ‘quinazoline’ that possesses a wide spectrum of biological properties. This scaffold is an important pharmacophore and is considered a privileged structure. Various substituted quinazolines displayed anticancer activity against different types of cancer. This review highlights the recent advances in quinazoline based molecules as anticancer agents. Several in-vitro and in-vivo models used along with the results are also included. A subpart briefing natural quinazoline containing anticancer compounds is also incorporated in the review.

Keywords: Quinazoline, anticancer, cytotoxicity, IC₅₀, cell line, heterocycle.

Graphical Abstract