Novel 2-Aryloxazoline Compounds Exhibit an Inhibitory Effect on spp., Including Antifungal-Resistant Isolates.

Because of the increased resistance to currently available antifungals, fungal infections represent a significant challenge to human health. Herein, we report the synthesis of 2-aryloxazoline derivatives from the reaction between l-threonine and derivatives of salicylic or naphthoic acid. In total, 26 compounds were obtained and tested against species of , , and . We found that all of the compounds inhibited the growth of species at low concentrations (<0.25 μg/mL) and exhibited reduced hemolytic and cytotoxic activities. Additionally, compounds and were especially effective against antifungal-resistant isolates and the emerging fungus . However, the compounds were less active on and . Because of the improved in vitro antifungal efficacy and attenuated cytotoxicity, these two 2-aryloxazolines obtained from salicylic and naphthoic acid derivatives, respectively, may be considered lead molecules for the development of novel antifungal drugs.