Synthesis and anti-mycobacterial activity of new 4-thiazolidinone and 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives of isoniazid.

A new series of 4-thiazolidinone (3a-e) and 1,3,4-oxadiazole (4a-e) derivatives of isoniazid were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro anti-mycobacterial activity. The structures of the compounds were confirmed on the basis of spectral data and elemental analysis. Some compounds showed interesting activity against four Mycobacterium strains: M. intercellulari (ATCC 35743), M. xenopi (ATCC 14470), M. cheleneo (ATCC 35751) and M. smegmatis (ATCC 35797). Compounds 3e, N-(4-oxo-2-undecylthiazolidin-3-yl) isonicotinamide and 4e N-acetyl-4-(5-undecyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl) pyridine with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), 6.0 μg/mL were found to be more potent than isoniazid under the in vitro investigational conditions. Compound 3e and 4e bear a high lipophilic chain bonded to the 5-position of the thiazolidinone and 1,3,4-oxadiazole moiety, respectively. This fact indicates that there exists a contribution of lipophilicity, which would facilitate the transport of these molecules through membranes.