Antimycobacterial activity of piperidinylpropyl esters of alkoxy-substituted phenylcarbamic acids

A series of 17 hydrochlorides of piperidinylpropyl esters of alkoxy-substituted phenylcarbamic acids with the alkoxy group in position 2, 3 or 4 on the phenyl ring, and basic substituents attached to the moiety in position 3, were evaluated for in vitro antimycobacterial activity against the strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. kansasii and M. avium. To describe the structure-antimycobacterial activity relationships (QSAR), an approach based on the Free-Wilson method was employed to express the differences between individual moieties (including propyl and ethyl). The change of ethyl to propyl moiety increases the activity to M. tuberculosis but decreases the antimycobacterial activity to all potentially pathogenic strains under study.     

Antimycobacterial activity of basic ethyl esters of alkoxy-substituted phenylcarbamic acids

A series of 124 basic ethyl esters of alkoxy-substituted phenylcarbamic acids with the alkoxy group in position 2, 3 or 4 on the phenyl ring, and basic substituents attached to the ethyl moiety in position 2, were evaluated for in vitro antimycobacterial activity against strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium kansasii and Mycobacterium avium. In vitro antimycobacterial activity becomes higher with increasing hydrophobic properties of the alkoxy groups. The p- and m-substituted derivatives were more active than the o-substituted ones. Direct relationship between the structure of the basic substituents and the activity was not found.     

Antifungal activity of gemini quaternary ammonium salts

A series of gemini quaternary ammonium chlorides and bromides with various alkyl chain and spacer lengths was synthesized. The most active compounds against fungi were chlorides with 10 carbon atoms within the hydrophobic chain. Among these compounds were few with no hemolytic activity at minimal inhibitory concentrations. None of the tested compounds were cytotoxic and mutagenic. Cationic gemini surfactants poorly reduced the adhesion of microorganisms to the polystyrene plate, but inhibited the filamentation of Candida albicans. One of the tested compounds eradicated C. albicans and Rodotorula mucilaginosa biofilm, what could be important in overcoming catheter-associated infections. It was also shown that gemini surfactants enhanced the sensitivity of C. albicans to azoles and polyenes, thus they might be potentially used in combined therapy against fungi.     

Antioxidative activity of some quaternary ammonium salts incorporated into erythrocyte membranes

The antioxidative activity of two series of amphiphilic compounds from a group of quaternary ammonium salts has been investigated. They were so-called bifunctional surfactants synthesized to be used as common pesticides or as antioxidants. The latter application was to be ensured by providing the compounds studied with an antioxidant group. Studies on antioxidative possibilities of those compounds were performed on pig erythrocytes. Due to their hydrophobic parts, they anchor in the erythrocyte membrane and influence the degree of lipid oxidation in the erythrocyte membrane subjected to UV radiation. It was found that compounds of both series decreased the oxidation of the membrane lipids. The inhibition of this oxidation increased with the length of their hydrophobic chains up to fourteen carbon atoms. The compounds of the longest hydrophobic chains showed a somewhat weaker antioxidative activity. Of the two series studied compounds were more effective having bromide ions as counterions. The corresponding compounds of a second series (chlorides) protected erythrocyte significantly weaker against oxidation. The effect of the compounds on fluidity of the erythrocyte membrane has been studied in order to explain the oxidation results. Change in fluidity of the erythrocyte ghost membranes was found also dependent on length of the hydrophobic part of the compounds and was more pronounced in the case of bromide surfactants. The final conclusion is that the compounds studied can be succesfully used as antioxidant agents of good efficacy.     

Synthesis,physiochemical property and antimicrobial activity of novel quaternary ammonium salts

Twenty-four novel 5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiol (POT) analogues, benzo[d]oxazole-2-thiol, benzo[d]thiazole-2-thiol and 5-methyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-thiol-substituted N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl) quaternary ammonium salts (QAS) (5a-d, 6a-d, 7a-d, 10a-d, 13a-d, 16a-d) were prepared and characterised by FTIR, NMR and elemental analysis. Part of target compounds (5d, 6d, 7d, 10d, 13d, 16d) displayed potent antimicrobial effect against ten common pathogens (S. aureus, α-H-tococcus, β-H-tococcus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Canidia Albicans, Cytospora mandshurica, Physalospora piricola, Aspergillus niger) and had relatively low cytotoxity against two human cell lines (HaCat and LO2). TEM and SEM images of E. coli and S. aureus morphologies treated with 7d showed that the antibacterial mechanism might be the QAS fixing on cell wall surfaces and puncturing to result in the release of bacterial cytoplasm. This study provides new information of QAS, which could be used to design novel antimicrobial agents applied in clinic or agriculture.     

Interaction of quaternary ammonium and phosphonium salts with photosynthetic membranes

Distinct concentration ranges of selected quaternary ammonium and phosphonium salts were elaborated to induce stimulatory or inhibitory effects, respectively, on photosynthetic reactions. By means of fluorescence induction measurements 3 different effects of alkylbenzyldimethylammonium chloride (ABDAC; zephirol) in chloroplast preparations from Pisum sativum were observed. 60 microM ABDAC produced a strong increase in Fmax with concurrently improved Kautsky kinetics. Increased ABDAC concentration (500 microM) led to a strong fluorescence quenching - virtually indistinguishable from the conditions following the addition of photosystem II electron acceptors like K3Fe[CN]6. Further increase of ABDAC to 5 mM provoked a drastic increase in the fluorescence yield together with the complete loss of any detectable kinetics. We suggest a 3-step interaction of ABDAC with the thylakoid membranes of photosynthetic organisms similar to our earlier discussion (Bader and H?per (1993), Z. Naturforsch. 49c, 87-94). We examined a series of derivatives with selectively modified side chains, central atoms and counter ions, respectively. Both an alkyl chain of the type ([-CH2-]n; n approximately > 10) and effective polar components are indispensable for the adsorption and intercalation of the molecule onto and into the thylakoid membranes. The benzyl group could be replaced by a methyl residue without any loss of effectiveness; replacement of the central nitrogen (N) by phosphorus (P) and the counter ion Cl by Br did not modify the effects and the results were indistinguishable from the ABDAC effect proper. Shortening of the alkyl chain to (-CH2-)6 resulted in a less effective interaction of e.g. tetraoctylammonium bromide with the photosynthetic membrane. Flash-induced oxygen evolution measurements with selected derivatives (15 microm) substantiated our interpretation of an improved OEC functioning by a substantial lowering of the miss parameter a and the exclusion of a chemical reduction as the standard S-state distribution was not affected. As evidenced by both SDS-PAGE and Western blot analyses the investigated molecules showed a direct interaction. The polypeptide patterns were characterized by a severe shift of the molecular weight components from high (20-67 kDa) to low (< 20 kDa) values.     

The importance of molecular parameters of quaternary ammonium salts in their antigibberellin (retardant) activity

The importance of six theoretically calculated molecular parameters in the antigibberellin (retardant) activity of quaternary ammonium salts is studied using regression analysis. A bioassay system based on cell culture of fungus Gibberella fujikuroi is used to determine the activity. In the case of N,N,N-trimethyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium chloride (choline) and N,N,N-triethyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium chloride (N,N,N-triethylcholine) derivatives with linear structure, the polarizability, proton acceptor activity, and lipophilicity of these compounds exert the largest effect on the antigibberellin activity. The antigibberellin activity of more sterically hindered N,N-dialkylpiperidinium salts was mainly defined by the steric parameter, while the polarizability, proton acceptor activity, and (through them) lipophilicity exert a lesser effect. Other parameters are of minor importance for the three groups of compounds studied. The English version of the paper: Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry, 2004, vol. 30, no. 6; see also http://www.maik.ru.     

Anticancer activity and toxicity of new quaternary ammonium geldanamycin derivative salts and their mixtures with potentiators

Geldanamycin (GDM) has been modified by different type neutral/acidic/basic substituents (1–7) and by quinuclidine motif (8), transformed into ammonium salts (9–13) at C(17). These compounds have been characterised by spectroscopic and x-ray methods. Derivative 8 shows better potency than GDM in MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, A549 and HeLa (IC₅₀s = 0.09–1.06 µM). Transformation of 8 into salts 9–13 reduces toxicity (by 11-fold) at attractive potency, e.g. MCF-7 cell line (IC₅₀∼2 µM). Our studies show that higher water solubility contributes to lower toxicity of salts than GDM in healthy CCD39Lu and HDF cells. The use of 13 mixtures with potentiators PEI and DOX enhanced anticancer effects from IC₅₀∼2 µM to IC₅₀∼0.5 µM in SKBR-3, SKOV-3, and PC-3 cancer cells, relative to 13. Docking studies showed that complexes between quinuclidine-bearing 8–13 and Hsp90 are stabilised by extra hydrophobic interactions between the C(17)-arms and K58 or Y61 of Hsp90.     

The partition behavior of complexes of glycosaminoglycans and quaternary ammonium salts

Complexes of purified glycosaminoglycans and hexadecylpyridinium chloride are shown to be capable of partition between aqueous and butanol phases. The partition coefficient of these complexes is dependent upon the concentration of the supporting electrolyte as well as the concentration of the quaternary ammonium salt. A sharp transition, during which the complex changes from complete solubility in the butanol phase to complete solubility in the aqueous phase, occurs over a very narrow range of salt concentrations. The various glycosaminoglycans show differences sufficient to permit fractionation at least into nonsulfated, monosulfate, and polysulfated classes by simple partition.     

New class of quaternary ammonium salts, derivatives of methyl D-glucopyranosides

Reactions of two aromatic and two aliphatic amines with methyl 6-O-p-toluenesulfonyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside or methyl 6-O-p-toluenesulfonyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside were performed on a micro-scale. The synthesis and preparative isolation methods have been developed for quaternary N-(methyl 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-6-deoxy-alpha- and -beta-D-glucopyranoside-6-yl)ammonium salts derived from three amines: trimethylamine, 2-methylpyridine, and pyridine. The reaction products were examined with 1H, 13C NMR spectroscopy. N-(Methyl 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-6-deoxy-beta-d-glucopyranoside-6-yl)trimethylammonium tosylate was additionally analyzed with X-ray crystallography.     

A new group of potential antituberculotics: Hydrochlorides of piperidinylalkyl esters of alkoxy-substituted phenylcarbamic acids

A group of 31 of alkoxy-substituted phenylcarbamic acids with the alkoxy group in ortho, meta or para position, and methyl or ethoxymethyl attached to the ethylene moiety in position 1, including both basic ethyl esters and derivatives branched on ethylene, were evaluated for in vitro antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. kansasii, and M. avium. To describe the structure-antimycobacterial activity relationships (QSARs), an approach based on a combination of the Free-Wilson analysis was used to express the influence of the substituents on the ethylene group as well as the position of the alkoxy groups on the phenyl ring and of the hydrophobicity of alkyls. In vitro antimycobacterial activity becomes higher with increasing hydrophobic properties of the alkoxy groups. The para- and meta-substituted derivatives were more active than the ortho-substituted ones. Substitution of ethylene in position 1 by methyl increased the activity against M. tuberculosis, a similar substitution by ethoxymethyl increased the activity against M. kansasii. The most active compounds were piperidinyl-1-(ethoxymethyl)ethylesters of heptoxyphenylcarbamic acids.     

Correlation between physico-chemical properties of quaternary ammonium salts of heptacaine and their inhibitory activity against photosynthesizing organisms

Photosynthesis inhibition in algae (Chlorella) and plant (spinach) chloroplasts by quaternary ammonium salts of heptacaine {N-[2-(2-heptyloxyphenylcarbamoyloxy)-ethyl]-N-alkylpiperidinium bromides} depended on the alkyl chain length of the alkyl substituent and showed good correlations with theoretical hydrophobic fragment constants as well as with experimentally determined physico-chemical parameters, namely extraction constants and surface activities. Communicated by. Z. ŠESTáK     

Lysosomotropic N,N- dimethyl alpha-aminoacid N-alkyl esters and their quaternary ammonium salts as plasma membrane and mitochondrial ATPases inhibitors

A set of n-alkyl esters of N,N-dimethylglycine (DMG-n) and their methobromides (DMGM-n) was synthesized, and their activities on yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae were compared. The compounds differ in the number of carbon atoms in the aliphatic chain. Aminoesters with 12 carbon atoms appeared to be most active. Unlike quaternary ammonium salts previously tested, the activities of the compounds were not pH-dependent; the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were identical at pH 8 and at pH 6. In contrast to quaternary ammonium salts, aminoesters showed similar effects on respiratory sufficient (rho+) and respiratory deficient (rho0) mutants. When tested on glucose stimulated proton extrusion, aminoesters applied at MIC increased external pH. Aminoesters inhibited the plasma membrane H+-ATPase, whereas they were less inhibitory on the mitochondrial ATPase. In order to further compare the aminoesters and their corresponding quaternary ammonium salts, derivatives of N,N-dimethylalanine (DMAL-n and DMALM-n, respectively) were synthesized. The quaternary ammonium salts appeared to have a higher inhibitory potency than aminoesters, especially at pH 8, and alanine derivatives inhibited growth at a lower concentration than glycine derivatives. Both alanine derivatives of the aminoester and the quaternary ammonium salt inhibited the plasma membrane H+- ATPase at lower concentrations than glycine derivatives, but the alanine aminoester was without a detectable effect on the mitochondrial ATPase.