Martin Krátký

Salicylanilide derivatives block Mycobacterium tuberculosis through inhibition of isocitrate lyase and methionine aminopeptidase

The global burden of tuberculosis, its health and socio-economic impacts, the presence of drug-resistant forms and a potential threat of latent tuberculosis should serve as a strong impetus for the development of novel antituberculosis agents. We reported the in vitro activity of salicylanilide benzoates and pyrazine-2-carboxylates against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (minimum inhibitory concentrations as low as 0.5 μmol/L). Nineteen salicylanilide derivatives with mostly good antimycobacterial activity were evaluated for the inhibition of two essential mycobacterial enzymes, methionine aminopeptidase and isocitrate lyase, which are necessary for the maintenance of the latent tuberculosis infection. Salicylanilide derivatives act as moderate inhibitors of both mycobacterial and human methionine aminopeptidase and they also affect the function of mycobacterial isocitrate lyase. 4-Bromo-2-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenylcarbamoyl]phenyl pyrazine-2-carboxylate was the most potent inhibitor of mycobacterial methionine aminopeptidase (41% inhibition at 10 μmol/L) and exhibited the highest selectivity. 5-Chloro-2-hydroxy-N-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]benzamide and 4-chloro-2-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenylcarbamoyl]phenyl pyrazine-2-carboxylate caused 59% inhibition of isocitrate lyase at 100 μmol/L concentration and (S)-4-bromo-2-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenylcarbamoyl]phenyl 2-acetamido-3-phenylpropanoate produced 22% inhibition at 10 μmol/L; this rate is approximately comparable to 3-nitropropionic acid. Inhibition of those enzymes contributes at least in part to the antimicrobial activity of the compounds.

New amino acid esters of salicylanilides active against MDR-TB and other microbes.

Eleven halogenated (S)-2-(phenylcarbamoyl)phenyl 2-acetamido-3-phenylpropanoates (3a-3k) were designed and synthesized as potential antimicrobial agents. They were evaluated in vitro against some mycobacterial, bacterial and fungal strains. These compounds were active against drug-sensitive and atypical mycobacterial strains with general MIC values from 0.25 to 16 μmol/L. The most active compounds were (S)-4-chloro-2-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenylcarbamoyl)phenyl 2-acetamido-3-phenylpropanoate (3i) and (S)-4-bromo-2-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenylcarbamoyl)phenyl 2-acetamido-3-phenylpropanoate (3k) which exhibited activity against MDR and XDR-TB strains with MICs from 1 to 2 μmol/L. 3k was shown to be less cytotoxic with higher IC50. Some compounds exhibited low MICs on Gram-positive bacteria (MICs≥0.98 μmol/L) and on fungi (MICs≥3.9 μmol/L).

Antibacterial Activity of Salicylanilide 4-(Trifluoromethyl)-benzoates

The development of novel antimicrobial agents represents a timely research topic. Eighteen salicylanilide 4-(trifluoromethyl)benzoates were evaluated against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. avium and M. kansasii, eight bacterial strains including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and for the inhibition of mycobacterial isocitrate lyase. Some compounds were further screened against drug-resistant M. tuberculosis and for their cytotoxicity. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for all mycobacterial strains were within 0.5–32 μmol/L, with 4-chloro-2-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenylcarbamoyl]phenyl 4-(trifluoromethyl)benzoate superiority. Gram-positive bacteria including MRSA were inhibited with MICs ≥ 0.49 μmol/L, while Gram-negative ones were much less susceptible. Salicylanilide 4-(trifluoromethyl)benzoates showed significant antibacterial properties, for many strains being comparable to standard drugs (isoniazid, benzylpenicillin) with no cross-resistance. All esters showed mild inhibition of mycobacterial isocitrate lyase and four compounds were comparable to 3-nitropropionic acid without a direct correlation between in vitro MICs and enzyme inhibition.

Antifungal Activity of Salicylanilides and Their Esters with 4-(Trifluoromethyl)benzoic Acid.

Searching for novel antimicrobial agents still represents a current topic in medicinal chemistry. In this study, the synthesis and analytical data of eighteen salicylanilide esters with 4-(trifluoromethyl)benzoic acid are presented. They were assayed in vitro as potential antimycotic agents against eight fungal strains, along with their parent salicylanilides. The antifungal activity of the presented derivatives was not uniform and moulds showed a higher susceptibility with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ≥ 0.49 µmol/L than yeasts (MIC ≥ 1.95 µmol/L). However, it was not possible to evaluate a range of 4-(trifluoromethyl)benzoates due to their low solubility. In general, the most active salicylanilide was N-(4-bromophenyl)-4-chloro-2-hydroxybenzamide and among esters, the corresponding 2-(4-bromophenylcarbamoyl)-5-chlorophenyl 4-(trifluoromethyl) benzoate exhibited the lowest MIC of 0.49 µmol/L. However, the esterification of salicylanilides by 4-(trifluoromethyl)benzoic acid did not result unequivocally in a higher antifungal potency.

Antiviral activity of substituted salicylanilides--a review.

Chemotherapy of viral infections is still challenging. Salicylanilides demonstrated a wide range of biological activities including antiviral potency and the review summarizes this field. Niclosamide was described to be able to affect coronaviruses. Some salicylanilides and salicylamides could inhibit HIV virus by targeting of HIV-1 integrase or reverse transcriptase. Hepatitis C virus is another virus, which could be potentially afflicted by salicylanilides on the level of two enzymes--NS3 protease and NS5B RNA polymerase. Nitazoxanide is a nitrothiazole derivative of salicylamide useful for the treatment of protozoal and bacterial infections with an extended range of antiviral activity and innovative mechanism of action, especially against hepatitis and influenza viruses or rotaviruses. Nitazoxanide, its metabolite tizoxanide and their derivatives are a very promising stream in the development of new antiviral compounds. In this review, we summarize the antiviral activity of structures containing salicylanilide and partly salicylamide moiety.

Synthesis and biological activity of new salicylanilide N,N-disubstituted carbamates and thiocarbamates

The development of novel antimicrobial drugs represents a cutting edge research topic. In this study, 20 salicylanilide N,N-disubstituted carbamates and thiocarbamates were designed, synthesised and characterised by IR, (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR. The compounds were evaluated in vitro as potential antimicrobial agents against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria (Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium kansasii) as well as against eight bacterial and fungal strains. Additionally, we investigated the inhibitory effect of these compounds on mycobacterial isocitrate lyase and cellular toxicity. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against mycobacteria were from 4 μM for thiocarbamates and from 16 μM for carbamates. Gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, were inhibited with MICs from 0.49 μM by thiocarbamates, whilst Gram-negative bacteria and most of the fungi did not display any significant susceptibility. All (thio)carbamates mildly inhibited isocitrate lyase (up to 22%) at a concentration of 10 μM. The (thio)carbamoylation of the parent salicylanilides led to considerably decreased cytotoxicity and thus improved the selectivity indices (up to 175). These values indicate that some derivatives are attractive candidates for future research.

Salicylanilide diethyl phosphates: synthesis, antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity.

A series of 27 salicylanilide diethyl phosphates was prepared as a part of our on-going search for new antimicrobial active drugs. All compounds exhibited in vitro activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium kansasii and Mycobacterium avium strains, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 0.5-62.5μmol/L. Selected salicylanilide diethyl phosphates also inhibit multidrug-resistant tuberculous strains at the concentration of 1μmol/L. Salicylanilide diethyl phosphates also exhibited mostly the activity against Gram-positive bacteria (MICs ≥1.95μmol/L), whereas their antifungal activity is significantly lower. The IC50 values for Hep G2 cells were within the range of 1.56-33.82μmol/L, but there is no direct correlation with MICs for mycobacteria.

Salicylanilide pyrazinoates inhibit in vitro multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains, atypical mycobacteria and isocitrate lyase.

The development of antimicrobial agents represents an up-to-date topic. This study investigated in vitro antimycobacterial activity, mycobacterial isocitrate lyase inhibition and cytotoxicity of salicylanilide pyrazinoates. They may be considered being mutual prodrugs of both antimycobacterial active salicylanilides and pyrazinoic acid (POA), an active metabolite of pyrazinamide, in which these esters are likely hydrolysed without presence of pyrazinamidase/nicotinamidase. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the esters were within the range 0.5-8 μmol/l for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and 1-32 μmol/l for nontuberculous mycobacteria (Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium kansasii). All esters showed a weak inhibition (8-17%) of isocitrate lyase at the concentration of 10 μmol/l. The most active pyrazinoates showed MICs for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis strains in the range of 0.125-2 μmol/l and no cross-resistance with clinically used drugs, thus being the most in vitro efficacious salicylanilide esters with 4-chloro-2-{[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]carbamoyl}phenyl pyrazine-2-carboxylate superiority (MICs⩽0.25 μmol/l). This promising activity is likely due to an additive or synergistic effect of released POA and salicylanilides. Selectivity indexes for the most active salicylanilide pyrazinoates ranged up to 64, making some derivatives being attractive candidates for the next research; 4-bromo-2-{[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]carbamoyl}phenyl pyrazine-2-carboxylate showed the most convenient toxicity profile.

Salicylanilide diethyl phosphates as cholinesterases inhibitors.

Based on the presence of dialkyl phosphate moiety, we evaluated twenty-seven salicylanilide diethyl phosphates (diethyl [2-(phenylcarbamoyl)phenyl] phosphates) for the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from electric eel (Electrophorus electricus L.) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) from equine serum. Ellmans spectrophotometric method was used. The inhibitory activity (expressed as IC50 values) was compared with that of the established drugs galantamine and rivastigmine. Salicylanilide diethyl phosphates showed significant activity against both cholinesterases with IC50 values from 0.903 to 86.3 μM. IC50s for BChE were comparatively lower than those obtained for AChE. All of the investigated compounds showed higher inhibition of AChE than rivastigmine, and six of them inhibited BChE more effectively than both rivastigmine and galantamine. In general, derivatives of 4-chlorosalicylic acid showed enhanced activity when compared to derivatives of 5-halogenated salicylic acids, especially against BChE. The most effective inhibitor of AChE was O-{5-chloro-2-[(3-bromophenyl)carbamoyl]phenyl} O,O-diethyl phosphate with IC50 of 35.4 μM, which is also one of the most potent inhibitors of BChE. O-{5-Chloro-2-[(3,4-dichlorophenyl)carbamoyl]phenyl} O,O-diethyl phosphate exhibited in vitro the strongest inhibition of BChE (0.90 μM). Salicylanilide diethyl phosphates act as pseudo-irreversible cholinesterases inhibitors.

Antimycobacterial Activity of Salicylanilide Benzenesulfonates

A series of eighteen novel esters of salicylanilides with benzenesulfonic acid were designed, synthesized and characterized by IR, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. They were evaluated in vitro as potential antimycobacterial agents towards Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium avium and two strains of Mycobacterium kansasii. In general, the minimum inhibitory concentrations range from 1 to 500 µmol/L. The most active compound against M. tuberculosis was 4-chloro-2-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenylcarbamoyl)-phenyl benzenesulfonate, with MIC of 1 µmol/L and towards M. kansasii its isomer 5-chloro-2-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenylcarbamoyl)phenyl benzenesulfonate (MIC of 2–4 µmol/L). M. avium was the less susceptible strain. However, generally, salicylanilide benzenesulfonates did not surpass the activity of other salicylanilide esters with carboxylic acids.