Bifunctional ethyl 2-amino-4-methylthiazole-5-carboxylate derivatives: synthesis and in vitro biological evaluation as antimicrobial and anticancer agents.

Thirty thiazole compounds bearing chemotherapeutically-active pharmacophores were synthesized and evaluated for their preliminary in vitro antimicrobial and anticancer activities. Nineteen compounds displayed obvious antibacterial potential, with special bactericidal activity against Gram positive bacteria, whereas, nine analogs showed moderate to weak antifungal activity against Candida albicans. The analog 12f proved to be the most active antimicrobial member identified in this study being comparable to ampicillin and gentamicin sulfate against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis, together with a moderate antifungal activity. Additionally, nine derivatives were tested for their preliminary in vitro anticancer activity according to the current one-dose protocol of the NCI. Compound 9b revealed a broad spectrum of anticancer activity against 29 out of the tested 60 subpanel tumor cell lines. Collectively, compounds 4, 9b, 10b and 12f could be considered as promising dual anticancer antibiotics.