Heterocyclic chemistry is the only branch of chemistry that has applications in
varied areas such as dyes, photosensitizers, coordination compounds, polymeric materials,
biological, and many other fields. Quinoline and its derivatives have always engrossed
both synthetic chemists and biologists because of their diverse chemical and pharmacological
properties as these ring systems can be easily found in various natural products, especially
in alkaloids. Among alkaloids, quinoline derivatives i.e. quinolinium salts have
attracted much attention nowadays owing to their diverse biological profile such as antimicrobial,
antitumor, antifungal, hypotensive, anti-HIV, analgesics and anti-inflammatory,
etc. Quinoline and its analogs have recently been examined for their modes of function in
the inhibition of tyrosine kinases, proteasome, tubulin polymerization, topoisomerase, and
DNA repair. These observations have been guiding scientists for the expansion of new quinoline derivatives
with improved and varied biological activities. Quinolinium salts have immense possibilities and scope to investigate
these compounds as potential drug candidates. Therefore, we shall present a concise compilation of
this work to aid in present knowledge and to help researchers explore an interesting quinoline class having medicinal
potential.
