SYNTHESIS, REACTIVITY, AND MEDICINAL PERSPECTIVES OF THIAZOLIDINE DERIVATIVES: A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Thiazolidine derivatives represent an important class of sulfur- and nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds that have attracted significant interest in medicinal chemistry due to their diverse biological activities and versatile synthetic accessibility. The thiazolidine scaffold, particularly thiazolidine-4-one and thiazolidinedione frameworks, serves as a valuable pharmacophore in the development of therapeutically relevant molecules. Numerous studies have demonstrated that these compounds exhibit a broad spectrum of pharmacological properties, including antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiparasitic activities. In particular, thiazolidinedione derivatives have gained clinical relevance as insulin-sensitizing agents used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus through activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ). This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in the synthesis, chemical reactivity, and medicinal applications of thiazolidine derivatives. Various synthetic strategies used for the construction and functionalization of the thiazolidine core are discussed, including classical condensation reactions, multicomponent reactions, microwave-assisted synthesis, solvent-free protocols, and green catalytic approaches. Special attention is given to key transformations such as Knoevenagel condensation, cyclization reactions, and structural modifications that enable the generation of structurally diverse derivatives. Furthermore, the review highlights the structure–activity relationships (SAR) of thiazolidine-based compounds and their interaction with important biological targets. Overall, this review emphasizes the significance of thiazolidine derivatives as promising scaffolds in modern drug discovery and outlines future perspectives for the design and development of novel therapeutically active agents