Synthesis and anti Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus activity of substituted chalcones alone and in combination with non-beta-lactam antibiotics.

A total of 30 chalcone analogues was synthesized via a base catalyzed Claisen Schmidt condensation and screened for their in vitro antibacterial activity against Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) alone or in combination with non beta-lactam antibiotics namely ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, vancomycin, doxycycline and gentamicin. In the checkerboard technique, fractional inhibitory concentration indices (FICI) show that the following combinations like ciprofloxacin with 25 (4'-bromo-2-hydroxychalcone); doxycycline with 21 (4-hydroxychalcone); doxycycline with 25; and doxycycline with 4 (2',2-dihydroxychalcone) were synergistic against MRSA. In term SAR study, the relationship between chalcone structure and their antibacterial activity against S. aureus and synergy with tested antibiotics were discussed. Possible mechanisms for antibacterial activity of chalcones alone as well as the synergistic effect in combinations were proposed by molecular modeling studies, respectively. Combinations of chalcones with conventional antibiotics could be an effective alternative in the treatment of infection caused by MRSA.

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of some heterocyclic chalcone analogues alone and in combination with antibiotics.

A series of simple heterocyclic chalcone analogues have been synthesized by Claisen Schmidt condensation reactions between substituted benzaldehydes and heteroaryl methyl ketones and evaluated for their antibacterial activity. The structures of the synthesized chalcones were established by IR and ¹H-NMR analysis. The biological data shows that compounds p5, f6 and t5 had strong activities against both susceptible and resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains, but not activity against a vancomycin and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from a human sample. The structure and activity relationships confirmed that compounds f5, f6 and t5 are potential candidates for future drug discovery and development.