1706
I. Kuc¸ukguzel et al. / Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 11 (2001) 1703–1707
¨ ¨ ¨
Table 2. Level 2 antituberculosis activity assay results of 1–3 and 21
Compound
Level 2 assay
IC50a (mg/mL)
Level 3 assay
b
c
MIC (mg/mL)
SI
EC90
EC99
EC90/MIC
1
2
3
21
>12.5
>12.5
>12.5
6.25d
—
—
—
>10
—
—
—
>1.6
0.371
0.303
0.698
—
>100
48.65
>100
—
<0.02968
<0.02424
<0.05584
—
aIC50 of RMP=147.
bEC90 of RMP=0.007.
cEC99 of RMP=0.451.
dThe assay was performed using BACTEC in which MIC of RMP was found as 0.125 mg/mL.
References and Notes
antiviral or antituberculosis agents. As 1,2,4-triazoles
have also been reported as possible antimicrobials,
incorporation of these two moieties in a single molecule
was aimed to enhance possible antituberculosis activity
which might arise from each side.
1. Aboul Wafa, O. M.; Berto, F. A. G. Arch. Pharm. (Wein-
heim) 1992, 325, 123.
2. Holla, B. S.; Shivananda, M. K.; Shenoy, S.; Antony, G.
Boll. Chim. Farmaceutico 1998, 137, 233.
In contrast to the results obtained from M. fortuitum
ATCC 6841, in vitro antituberculosis assay results of 1–
22 using M. tuberculosis H37Rv revealed that either
substituents at the N-4 position of the triazole ring (R1)
or the ones at the terminal nitrogen of thioureas (R2)
influenced the antituberculosis activity. As shown in
Tables 1 and 2, optimal activity was achieved with the
derivatives possessing a methyl group at the R1 position
whilst a linear decrease in antituberculosis activity was
observed in the direction of methyl>ethyl>allyl>
heavier groups. On the other hand, functionalities
bulkier than an allyl group at the R2 position also gave
rise to almost complete loss of inhibition of myco-
bacterial growth. The fact that highest antituberculosis
activity in phenylthioureas could be reached by deriva-
tives with the terminal nitrogen substituted by a single
short chain alkyl group, was also in accordance with
previous reports.13,14
3. Kuc u kguzel, S. G.; Rollas, S.; Erdeniz, H.; Kiraz, M. Eur.
J. Med. Chem. 1999, 34, 153.
4. Rollas, S.; Yılmaz, N.; Erdeniz, H.; Kiraz, M. Med. Sci.
Res. 1998, 26, 83.
5. Kuc u kguzel, S. G.; Rollas, S.; Erdeniz, H.; Kiraz, M.;
Ekinci, A. C.; Vidin, A. Eur. J. Med. Chem. 2000, 35, 761.
6. Rollas, S.; Kalyoncuoglu, N.; Sur-Altıner, D.; Yegenoglu,
Y. Pharmazie 1993, 48, 308.
7. Komurcu, S. G.; Rollas, S.; Yılmaz, N.; Cevikbas, A. Drug
Metab. Drug Interact. 1995, 12, 161.
8. Jones, A. S.; Sayers, J. R.; Walker, R. T.; De Clercq, E. J.
Med. Chem. 1988, 31, 268.
9. Laddi, U. V.; Desai, S. R.; Somannavar, Y. S.; Bennur,
R. S.; Bennur, S. C. Indian. J. Chem., Sect. B 1998, 37, 461.
10. Rollas, S.; Buyuktimkin, S.; Cevikbas, A. Arch. Pharm.
(Weinheim) 1991, 324, 189.
11. Hogberg, M.; Engelhardt, P.; Vrang, L.; Zhang, H.
Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2000, 10, 265.
12. Dong, Y.; Venkatachalam, T. K.; Narla, R. K.; Trieu,
V. N.; Sudbeck, E. A.; Uckun, F. M. Bioorg. Med. Chem.
Lett. 2000, 10, 87.
From the above data one can conclude that both 1,2,4-
triazole or thiourea components of the structures 1–22
contributed to antituberculosis activity. Moreover,
bulky groups introduced at either R1 and R2 positions
led to a dramatic decrease in activity most probably due
to a steric hindrance which does not allow the com-
pounds to reach the active site. In addition, S-alkylation
products of three derivatives selected from the 1–19
series have been prepared not only to mask the –NH–
CS– function present in 1,2,4-triazoline-3-thiones but
also to provide them an increased lipophilicity. This
modification led to the most active derivative, com-
pound 21, which still needs to be improved from the
toxicological point of view.
13. Doub, L.; Richardson, L. M.; Herbst, D. R.; Black, M. L.;
Stevenson, O. L.; Bambas, L. L.; Youmans, G. P.; Youmans,
A. S. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1958, 80, 2205.
14. Glasser, A. C.; Doughty, R. M. J. Pharm. Sci. 1962, 51,
1031.
15. Durgun, B. B.; Rollas, S. J. Pharm. Uni. Mar. 1991, 7, 107.
16. Kalyoncuoglu, N.; Rollas, S.; Sur-Altıner, D.; Yegenoglu,
Y.; Ang, O. Pharmazie 1992, 47, 796.
17. Ram, V. J.; Vidyottama, D.; Pieters, L. A. C.; Vlietinck,
A. J. J. Heterocycl. Chem. 1989, 26, 625.
18. Kuc u kguzel, I.; Komurcu, S. G.; Rollas, S. Sympo-
sium Abstracts Book, 4th International Symposium on
Pharmaceutical Sciences, June 27–30, 1995, Ankara, Tur-
key; O-13.
19. Hazzaa, A. A. B.; Labouta, I. M.; Kassem, M. G. Arch.
Pharm. Chem. Sci. Ed. 1983, 11, 43.
20. Emilsson, H.; Selander, H. Acta Pharm. Suec. 1983, 20,
419.
21. Emilsson, H.; Selander, H.; Gaarder, J. Acta. Pharm.
Suec. 1987, 24, 123.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Dr. Joseph A. Maddry from the
Tuberculosis Antimicrobial Acquisition and Coordinat-
ing Facility (TAACF), National Institute of Allergy and
Infections Diseases Southern Research Institute, GWL
Hansen’s Disease Center, Colorado State University,
Birmingham, AL, USA, for the in vitro evaluation of
antimycobacterial activity using M. tuberculosis H37Rv.
22. Kubota, S.; Horie, K.; Misra, H. K.; Toyooka, K.; Uda,
M.; Shibuya, M.; Terada, H. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 1985, 33,
662.
23. Kuc u kguzel, I.; Rollas, S.; Ulgen, M. J. Pharm. Uni. Mar.
1994, 10, 17.
24. Kuc u kguzel, I.; Rollas, S.; Cevikbas, A. Drug Metab.
Drug Interact. 1995, 12, 151.