Recent Advances in the Synthesis and Biological Applications of Prenylated Chalcones

Prenylated chalcones, a subclass of chalcones distinguished by the addition of one or more prenyl (3-methylbut-2-enyl) groups, have attracted significant attention due to their promising biological activities. The origins, chemical diversity, and synthetic routes used to prepare naturally occurring and synthetic prenylated chalcones are discussed in this review paper, alongside their diverse pharmacological properties, as reported over the past 10 years (2015-2025), mainly emphasising their strong anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, and anti-malarial effects. We address their structure-activity relationships (SARs) to interrogate how prenylation affects the pharmacological activity of these chalcones.