Preparation and antileishmanial activity of lipophilic N-alkyl diamines.

We report in this work the preparation and the in vitro antileishmanial activity of a series of long chains N-monoalkylated diamines and two pyridinediamine derivatives. Several compounds, tested for their in vitro antiproliferative activity against Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania chagasi, displayed a good inhibition of parasite growth, with IC(50) below 10 microM. Compounds 10 (N-dodecyl-1,2-ethanediamine), 15 (N-decyl-1,3-propanediamine) and 20 (N-dodecyl-1,4-butanediamine) were 7.3, 2.6 and 3.6 times, respectively, more active than the reference drug amphotericin B against L. chagasi promastigote forms.