Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of molecular hybrids based on eugenol and chloramphenicol pharmacophores

• DOI: 10.1007/s12223-023-01057-9
• Publication Date: 2023-04-28T23:02:29Z
• Authors: Lucas M. Oliveira; Fallon S. Siqueira; Michelle T. Silva; José V. C. Machado; Cleydson F. Cordeiro; Lívia F. Diniz; Marli M. A. Campos; Lucas L. Franco; Thiago B. Souza; Jamie A. Hawkes; Diogo T. Carvalho
• Keywords: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus; Chloramphenicol; Pharmacophore; Anti-Infective Agents; Eugenol; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Anti-Bacterial Agents

In the constant search for new pharmacological compounds, molecular hybridisation is a well-known technique whereby two or more known pharmacophoric subunits are combined to create a new "hybrid" compound. This hybrid is expected to maintain the characteristics of the original compounds whilst demonstrating improvements to their pharmacological action. Accordingly, we report here a series of molecular hybrid compounds based upon eugenol and chloramphenicol pharmacophores. The hybrid compounds were screened for their in vitro antimicrobial potential against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and also rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM). The results highlight that the antimicrobial profiles of the hybrid compounds improve in a very clear fashion when moving through the series. The most prominent results were found when comparing the activity of the hybrid compounds against some of the multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, methicillin-resistant clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and clinical isolates of rapidly growing mycobacteria.