Cinnamic acid derivatives in agrochemicals: current use and future perspective

Area of Science:

• Agrochemistry
• Organic Chemistry
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Cinnamic acid (CA) and its derivatives are phenylpropanoids with broad biological activities and eco-friendly properties.
• Applications in food, cosmetics, and medicine are well-documented, but their use in agrochemicals is less explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review the structures and functions of CA derivatives in pesticides.
• To highlight their diverse activities including plant growth regulation, antiviral, bactericidal, fungicidal, herbicidal, insecticidal, and acaricidal properties.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing studies on Cinnamic acid derivatives in agrochemicals.
• Analysis of reported structures and their corresponding pesticidal activities.

Main Results:

• CA derivatives exhibit a wide range of pesticidal activities, including plant growth regulation, antiviral, bactericidal, fungicidal, herbicidal, insecticidal, and acaricidal effects.
• The review consolidates current knowledge on their structure-activity relationships in pesticide applications.

Conclusions:

• Cinnamic acid derivatives represent a promising class of compounds for agrochemical development.
• Artificial intelligence-based drug design offers a promising avenue for discovering novel, efficient, and inexpensive CA derivatives for pesticide applications.
• This review provides valuable insights and future directions for researchers in pesticide chemistry.