Synthesis and Biological Studies of Novel β-Lactams*

We present herein a description of some of the most signicant contributions on the preparation of the β-lactam structures published in various journals since 2000. The structural modication of functional groups linked to the nitrogen N-1, the C-3, or the C-4 carbon atoms is examined. Moreover, a concise survey of the literature on the biological and pharmacological applications of the 2-azetidinone compounds is also included.