The Benzoylpiperidine Fragment as a Privileged Structure in Medicinal Chemistry: A Comprehensive Review

The phenyl(piperidin-4-yl)methanone fragment (here referred to as the benzoylpiperidine fragment) is a privileged structure in the development of new drugs considering its presence in many bioactive small molecules with both therapeutic (such as anti-cancer, anti-psychotic, anti-thrombotic, anti-arrhythmic, anti-tubercular, anti-parasitic, anti-diabetic, and neuroprotective agents) and diagnostic properties. The benzoylpiperidine fragment is metabolically stable, and it is also considered a potential bioisostere of the piperazine ring, thus making it a feasible and reliable chemical frame to be exploited in drug design. Herein, we discuss the main therapeutic and diagnostic agents presenting the benzoylpiperidine motif in their structure, covering articles reported in the literature since 2000. A specific section is focused on the synthetic strategies adopted to obtain this versatile chemical portion.