Synthesis and biological evaluation of α-triazolyl chalcones as a new type of potential antimicrobial agents and their interaction with calf thymus DNA and human serum albumin.

A series of α-triazolyl chalcones were efficiently synthesized. Most of the prepared compounds showed effective antibacterial and antifungal activities. Noticeably, α-triazolyl derivative 9a exhibited low MIC value of 4 μg/mL against MRSA and Micrococcus luteus, which was comparable or even superior to reference drugs. The further research revealed that compound 9a could effectively intercalate into Calf Thymus DNA to form 9a-DNA complex which might block DNA replication to exert their powerful antimicrobial activities. Competitive interactions between 9a and metal ions to Human Serum Albumin (HSA) suggested the participation of Fe(3+), K(+) and Mg(2+) ions in 9a-HSA system could increase the concentration of free 9a, shorten its storage time and half-life in the blood, thus improving its antimicrobial efficacy.