SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF NOVEL BENZIMIDAZOLE DERIVATIVES AS POTENT ANTIFUNGAL AGENTS:

Benzimidazole derivatives have emerged as one of the most versatile heterocyclic scaffolds in medicinal chemistry due to their broad spectrum biological activities. Among these, antifungal activity has gained significant interest owing to rising incidences of fungal infections and increasing resistance to conventional antifungal drugs. This review comprehensively summarizes recent advances in the synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives, structural modifications aimed at enhancing antifungal potency, characterization techniques employed, and key biological evaluation results. Various synthetic strategies including traditional condensation, metal-catalyzed couplings, multicomponent reactions and green synthesis approaches are discussed. Structural features influencing antifungal activity, such as substituent effects, heterocyclic fusion, and hybridization with other pharmacophores, are critically analyzed. Characterization methods such as NMR, FTIR, Mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis are summarized. Finally, insights into structure–activity relationships (SAR), modes of action, and future perspectives for benzimidazole antifungal agents are presented. This review aims to provide researchers in medicinal chemistry and pharmacology with a comprehensive resource for designing next-generation antifungal therapeutics based on benzimidazole frameworks.