Synthesis and in vitro antitubercular evaluation of novel sansanmycin derivatives

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major health problem worldwide. A series of novel sansanmycin derivatives were designed, semi-synthesized and evaluated for their activity against drug-susceptible Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain H(37)Rv with sansanmycin A (SSA) as the lead. Among these analogs tested, compound 1d possessing an isopropyl group at the amino terminal afforded an increased antimycobacterial activity with a MIC value of 8 μg/mL in comparison with SSA. Importantly, it was active for rifampicin- and isoniazid-resistant M. tuberculosis strain isolated from patients in China. These promising results offer an opportunity for further exploration of this novel class of analogs as antitubercular agents.