Synthesis and anti-tubercular activity of N(2)-arylbenzo[g]isoquinoline-5,10-dione-3-iminium bromides

Org Biomol Chem. 2016 Feb 14;14(6):2041-51. doi: 10.1039/c5ob02138c.

Abstract

Tuberculosis has remained a challenge for medicinal chemists worldwide. In the framework of a collaborative program to identify and evaluate novel antitubercular candidate compounds, the biological properties of benzo[g]isoquinoline-5,10-diones have been found to be very promising. In this paper we have further expanded the library by incorporation of an amidinium moiety into the benzo[g]isoquinoline-5,10-dione scaffold. The presence of this functional group also increased the solubility of the quinones in polar solvents. To this purpose N(2)-arylbenzo[g]isoquinoline-5,10-dione-3-iminium bromides were synthesized in a straightforward way by means of a reaction of anilines with 2-(bromomethyl)-3-(cyanomethyl)-1,4-dimethoxynaphthalene. Following the biological evaluation, N(2)-(4-chlorophenyl)-5,10-dioxobenzo[g]isoquinoline-3(2H)-iminium bromide (MIC = 1.16 μM, CC50 = 28.51 μM, SI = 24.58) was selected as the most promising representative. Apart from the nano-molar anti-mycobacterial activity, the compound was able to target intracellular residing Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the susceptibility of a multi-drug-resistant strain towards the compound was confirmed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antitubercular Agents / chemical synthesis*
  • Antitubercular Agents / chemistry
  • Antitubercular Agents / pharmacology*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Hydrocarbons, Brominated / chemical synthesis
  • Hydrocarbons, Brominated / chemistry
  • Hydrocarbons, Brominated / pharmacology*
  • Isoquinolines / chemical synthesis
  • Isoquinolines / chemistry
  • Isoquinolines / pharmacology*
  • Macrophages / drug effects
  • Macrophages / microbiology
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / drug effects*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents
  • Hydrocarbons, Brominated
  • Isoquinolines