Studies on prodrugs. 5. Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of N-(oxoalkyl)norfloxacin derivatives.

Several N-(oxoalkyl)norfloxacin derivatives (3a-g) were synthesized and evaluated for antibacterial activity in vitro and in vivo. Most of the compounds exhibited in vitro activity comparable to that of norfloxacin for Gram-positive bacteria, whereas their activity was lower than for Gram-negative bacteria. N-(2-Oxopropyl)norfloxacin (3b) liberated norfloxacin in the blood after oral administration in mice, and the serum level of norfloxacin was about 3-fold higher than that of norfloxacin itself. Thus, 3b showed high antibacterial activity in vivo.