Cinnamic acid derivatives in agrochemicals: current use and future perspective

Cinnamic acid and its derivatives have a variety of biological activities and have been widely used in agrochemicals • Cinnamic acid and its derivatives are a research hotspot in the field of natural pesticides. • Cinnamic acid and its derivatives as important agrochemical scaffolds were systematically summarized and discussed in recent twenty years. • Discussion of the SARs of cinnamic acid derivatives provides new strategy for the further derivatization of cinnamic acids. • Comprehensive overview of the broad applications of cinnamic acid derivatives in agrochemical research is presented. • Our outlook pointed out a new perspective for the development of nature product-based pesticides. Cinnamic acid (CA) and its derivatives are usual phenylpropanoids including natural products and synthetic compounds, which are widely used in various fields due to their robust and broad-spectrum biological activities, and eco-friendly properties. To date, their applications in foods, cosmetics, and medicines have been well reviewed; however, the use of CA derivatives in agrochemicals has not been comprehensively summarized. Based on the available literature, this review summarizes the current structures and functions of CA and its derivatives in pesticides, including their plant growth regulating, antiviral, bactericidal, fungicidal, herbicidal, insecticidal, and acaricidal activities. Furthermore, the discovery of novel structure types with efficient and inexpensive properties, through artificial intelligence-based drug design deserves greater attention. This perspective clarifies future directions for promoting the study of CA derivatives in the field of agrochemicals and provides valuable references, as well as fresh perspectives for researchers in pesticide chemistry.