Pentafluorosulfanyl-containing Triclocarban Analogs with Potent Antimicrobial Activity

• Main Authors: Eugènia Pujol, Núria Blanco-Cabra, Esther Julián, Rosana Leiva, Eduard Torrents, Santiago Vázquez
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-11-01
• Series: Molecules
• Subjects: antibacterial; Gram-positive; <i>N</i>,<i>N</i>′-diarylureas; pentafluorosulfanyl; <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>; triclocarban
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/23/11/2853

Concerns have been raised about the long-term accumulating effects of triclocarban, a polychlorinated diarylurea widely used as an antibacterial soap additive, in the environment and in human beings. Indeed, the Food and Drug Administration has recently banned it from personal care products. Herein, we report the synthesis, antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity of novel <i>N</i>,<i>N</i>&#8242;-diarylureas as triclocarban analogs, designed by reducing one or more chlorine atoms of the former and/or replacing them by the novel pentafluorosulfanyl group, a new bioisostere of the trifluoromethyl group, with growing importance in drug discovery. Interestingly, some of these pentafluorosulfanyl-bearing ureas exhibited high potency, broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacterial pathogens, and high selectivity index, while displaying a lower spontaneous mutation frequency than triclocarban. Some lines of evidence suggest a bactericidal mode of action for this family of compounds.