Syntheses, in vitro antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of a series of 3-substituted succinimides.

We have synthesized a series of 3-substituted succinimides and their in vitro antibacterial activities have been tested towards Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria from the ATCC collection. Some of them possess significant antibacterial activity against Gram-positive organisms (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212) but all are poorly active or inactive against Gram-negative organisms (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853). The compounds with the lowest minimal inhibitory concentrations (esters of 3-hydroxy succinimides) are also the most cytotoxic against green monkey Vero cell line (ATCC CCL-81) and could explain that perhaps apoptosis should be implicated in eukaryotic cell cytotoxicity of succinimides.