Copper complexes with bioactive ligands. Part II--Antifungal activity.

Antifungal activity of new copper(II) complexes of 2-methylthionicotinate (2-MeSNic) of the composition Cu(2-MeSNic)2(MeNia)(2).4H2O (where MeNia is N-methylnicotinamide), and Cu(2-MeSNic)2(Nia)(2).2H2O (where Nia is nicotinamide) and Cu(2-MeSNic)2L2 (where L is isonicotinamide, iNia, or ethyl nicotinate, EtNic) were tested on various strains of filamentous fungi by the macrodilution method. Most sensitive against copper(II) adducts with bioactive ligands were Rhizopus oryzae and Microsporum gypseum (IC50 1.5-2.3 mmol/L). The adducts with Nia, MeNia and EtNic at 5 mmol/L induced morphological changes in growing hyphae of Botrytis cinerea, mainly their intensive branching attached to release of cytoplasm with partial growth inhibition. Inhibition of sporulation (> 90%) of Alternaria alternata by Cu(2-MeSNic)2.H2O was observed as a change in the color of the colonies. The highest resistance was marked by B. cinerea and Fusarium moniliforme (average IC50 values 4.25 and 3.13 mmol/L, respectively). The presence of all bioactive ligands in copper(II) complexes caused an increase in the inhibition effect against model fungi (except significant inhibition activity of EtNic on R. oryzae).