According to the World Health Organization, tuberculosis is still in the top ten causes of death from a single infectious agent, killing more than 1.7 million people worldwide each year. The rising resistance developed by Mycobacterium tuberculosis against currently used antituberculars is an imperative to develop new compounds with potential antimycobacterial activity. As a part of our continuous research on structural derivatives of the first-line antitubercular pyrazinamide, we have designed, prepared, and assessed the in vitro whole cell growth inhibition activity of forty-two novel 5-alkylamino-N-phenylpyrazine-2-carboxamides with various length of the alkylamino chain (propylamino to octylamino) and various simple substituents on the benzene ring. Final compounds were tested against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra and four other mycobacterial strains (M. aurum, M. smegmatis, M. kansasii, M. avium) in a modified Microplate Alamar Blue Assay. We identified several candidate molecules with micromolar MIC against M. tuberculosis H37Ra and low in vitro cytotoxicity in HepG2 cell line, for example, N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-5-(pentylamino)pyrazine-2-carboxamide (3c, MIC = 3.91 µg/mL or 13.02 µM, SI > 38) and 5-(heptylamino)-N-(p-tolyl)pyrazine-2-carboxamide (4e, MIC = 0.78 µg/mL or 2.39 µM, SI > 20). In a complementary screening, we evaluated the in vitro activity against bacterial and fungal strains of clinical importance. We observed no antibacterial activity and sporadic antifungal activity against the Candida genus.

• Keywords
• alkylamino derivatives, antibacterial, antifungal, antimycobacterial, cytotoxicity, pyrazinamide,
• MeSH
• Antitubercular Agents chemical synthesis   chemistry   isolation & purification   pharmacology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Microbial Sensitivity Tests MeSH
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug effects   MeSH
• Pyrazinamide chemistry   MeSH
• Pyrazines chemistry   MeSH
• Drug Design MeSH
• Drug Development MeSH
• Structure-Activity Relationship MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Antitubercular Agents MeSH
• Pyrazinamide MeSH
• Pyrazines MeSH

Three series of N-(pyrazin-2-yl)benzamides were designed as retro-amide analogues of previously published N-phenylpyrazine-2-carboxamides with in vitro antimycobacterial activity. The synthesized retro-amides were evaluated for in vitro growth inhibiting activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv (Mtb), three non-tuberculous mycobacterial strains (M. avium, M. kansasii, M. smegmatis) and selected bacterial and fungal strains of clinical importance. Regarding activity against Mtb, most N-pyrazinylbenzamides (retro-amides) possessed lower or no activity compared to the corresponding N-phenylpyrazine-2-carboxamides with the same substitution pattern. However, the active retro-amides tended to have lower HepG2 cytotoxicity and better selectivity. Derivatives with 5-chloro substitution on the pyrazine ring were generally more active compared to their 6-cloro positional isomers or non-chlorinated analogues. The best antimycobacterial activity against Mtb was found in N-(5-chloropyrazin-2-yl)benzamides with short alkyl (2h: R² = Me; 2i: R² = Et) in position 4 of the benzene ring (MIC = 6.25 and 3.13 µg/mL, respectively, with SI > 10). N-(5-Chloropyrazin-2-ylbenzamides with hydroxy substitution (2b: R² = 2-OH; 2d: R² = 4-OH) on the benzene ring or their acetylated synthetic precursors possessed the broadest spectrum of activity, being active in all three groups of mycobacterial, bacterial and fungal strains. The substantial differences in in silico calculated properties (hydrogen-bond pattern analysis, molecular electrostatic potential, HOMO and LUMO) can justify the differences in biological activities between N-pyrazinylbenzamides and N-phenylpyrazine-2-carboxamides.

• Keywords
• antibacterial, antifungal, antimycobacterial, cytotoxicity, linker, pyrazinamide, retro-amide, tuberculosis,
• MeSH
• Anti-Bacterial Agents chemical synthesis   chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Benzamides chemical synthesis   chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Cell Line MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Microbial Sensitivity Tests MeSH
• Models, Molecular MeSH
• Molecular Structure MeSH
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug effects   MeSH
• Drug Design * MeSH
• Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic * MeSH
• Cell Survival drug effects   MeSH
• Structure-Activity Relationship MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Anti-Bacterial Agents MeSH
• benzamide MeSH Browser
• Benzamides MeSH

Hybrid compounds based on a combination of the first-line antitubercular pyrazinamide (PZA) and a formerly identified antimycobacterial scaffold of 4-arylthiazol-2-amine were designed. Eighteen compounds were prepared, characterized and tested for in vitro growth inhibition activity against M. tuberculosis H37Rv, M. kansasii, M. avium and M. smegmatis by Microplate Alamar Blue Assay at neutral pH. Active compounds were tested for in vitro cytotoxicity in the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2). The most active 6-chloro-N-[4-(4-fluorophenyl)thiazol-2-yl]pyrazine-2-carboxamide (9b) also had the broadest spectrum of activity and inhibited M. tuberculosis, M. kansasii, and M. avium with MIC = 0.78 μg mL-1 (2.3 μM) and a selectivity index related to HepG2 cells of SI > 20. Structure-activity relationships within the series are discussed. Based on its structural similarity to known inhibitors and the results of a molecular docking study, we suggest mycobacterial beta-ketoacyl-(acyl-carrier-protein) synthase III (FabH) as a potential target.

• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

5-Chloropyrazinamide (5-Cl-PZA) is an inhibitor of mycobacterial fatty acid synthase I with a broad spectrum of antimycobacterial activity in vitro. Some N-phenylpyrazine-2-carboxamides with different substituents on both the pyrazine and phenyl core possess significant in vitro activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. To test the activity of structures combining both the 5-Cl-PZA and anilide motifs a series of thirty 5-chloro-N-phenylpyrazine-2-carboxamides with various substituents R on the phenyl ring were synthesized and screened against M. tuberculosis H37Rv, M. kansasii and two strains of M. avium. Most of the compounds exerted activity against M. tuberculosis H37Rv in the range of MIC = 1.56-6.25 µg/mL and only three derivatives were inactive. The phenyl part of the molecule tolerated many different substituents while maintaining the activity. In vitro cytotoxicity was decreased in compounds with hydroxyl substituents, preferably combined with other hydrophilic substituents. 5-Chloro-N-(5-chloro-2-hydroxyphenyl)pyrazine-2-carboxamide (21) inhibited all of the tested strains (MIC = 1.56 µg/mL for M. tuberculosis; 12.5 µg/mL for other strains). 4-(5-Chloropyrazine-2-carboxamido)-2-hydroxybenzoic acid (30) preserved good activity (MIC = 3.13 µg/mL M. tuberculosis) and was rated as non-toxic in two in vitro models (Chinese hamster ovary and renal cell adenocarcinoma cell lines; SI = 47 and 35, respectively).

• MeSH
• Antifungal Agents chemical synthesis   pharmacology   MeSH
• Antitubercular Agents chemical synthesis   chemistry   pharmacology   toxicity   MeSH
• Cell Line MeSH
• CHO Cells MeSH
• Cricetulus MeSH
• Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions MeSH
• Inhibitory Concentration 50 MeSH
• Cricetinae MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Microbial Sensitivity Tests MeSH
• Mycobacterium drug effects   MeSH
• Cell Line, Tumor MeSH
• Pyrazinamide analogs & derivatives   chemical synthesis   chemistry   pharmacology   toxicity   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Cricetinae MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• 5-chloropyrazinamide MeSH Browser
• Antifungal Agents MeSH
• Antitubercular Agents MeSH
• Pyrazinamide MeSH

A series of twelve amides was synthesized via aminolysis of substituted pyrazinecarboxylic acid chlorides with substituted benzylamines. Compounds were characterized with analytical data and assayed in vitro for their antimycobacterial, antifungal, antibacterial and photosynthesis-inhibiting activity. 5-tert-Butyl-6-chloro-N-(4-methoxybenzyl)pyrazine-2-carboxamide (12) has shown the highest antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MIC = 6.25 µg/mL), as well as against other mycobacterial strains. The highest antifungal activity against Trichophyton mentagrophytes, the most susceptible fungal strain tested, was found for 5-chloro-N-(3-trifluoromethylbenzyl)-pyrazine-2-carboxamide (2, MIC = 15.62 µmol/L). None of the studied compounds exhibited any activity against the tested bacterial strains. Except for 5-tert-butyl-6-chloro-N-benzylpyrazine-2-carboxamide (9, IC(50) = 7.4 µmol/L) and 5-tert-butyl-6-chloro-N-(4-chlorobenzyl)pyrazine-2-carboxamide (11, IC(50) = 13.4 µmol/L), only moderate or weak photosynthesis-inhibiting activity in spinach chloroplasts (Spinacia oleracea L.) was detected.

• MeSH
• Amides chemical synthesis   pharmacology   MeSH
• Antifungal Agents chemical synthesis   pharmacology   MeSH
• Antibiotics, Antitubercular chemical synthesis   pharmacology   MeSH
• Chloroplasts drug effects   metabolism   MeSH
• Photosynthesis drug effects   MeSH
• Herbicides chemical synthesis   pharmacology   MeSH
• Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions MeSH
• Microbial Sensitivity Tests MeSH
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug effects   MeSH
• Pyrazines chemical synthesis   pharmacology   MeSH
• Spinacia oleracea drug effects   metabolism   MeSH
• Trichophyton drug effects   MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Amides MeSH
• Antifungal Agents MeSH
• Antibiotics, Antitubercular MeSH
• Herbicides MeSH
• Pyrazines MeSH