Barbituric Acids: A Review of Preparation, Reactions and Biological Applications

Barbiturates, which are derived from the medically significant substance barbituric acid also known as malonylurea or 4-hydroxyuracil, are employed as anaesthetics, sedative-hypnotics, anticonvulsants, and depressants of the central nervous system. In recent years, researchers have paid great attention to compounds and derivatives of barbituric acid, although the first barbituric acid was discovered in 1864 by Adolf Von Baeyer. Due to its great medical and biological importance and wide applications in polymerization catalysts, plastics and textiles, aqueous or oil inks, and polymers. The background, reactions, and methods of preparing barbituric acid have been studied over the last ten years.