Aurones: A Promising Scaffold to Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Replication.

Aurones are a small subgroup of flavonoids in which the basic C-C-C skeleton is arranged as ()-2-benzylidenebenzofuran-3(2)-one. These compounds are structural isomers of flavones and flavonols, natural products reported as potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 replication. Herein, we report the design, synthesis, and anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of a series of 25 aurones bearing different oxygenated groups (OH, OCH, OCHOCH, OCHO, OCFH, and OCHCHR) at the A- and/or B-rings using cell-based screening assays.