3,5-dinitrobenzoylhydrazone derivatives as a scaffold for antituberculosis drug development.

The development of drugs is essential to eradicate tuberculosis. Sixteen 3,5-dinitrobenzoylhydrazone () derivatives and their synthetic precursors 3,5-dinitrobenzoylhydrazide () and methyl ester () were screened for their anti- () potential. Twelve compounds had minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 0.24 to 7.8 μg/ml against the strain. The activity was maintained in multidrug-resistant clinical isolates. Only compound () showed activity against nontuberculous mycobacteria. The compounds exhibited a limited spectrum of activity, with an MIC >500 μg/ml against Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. Compounds (), () and () showed a synergistic effect with rifampicin. An excellent selectivity index value was found, with values reaching 583.33. 3,5-dinitrobenzoylhydrazone derivatives could be considered as a scaffold for the development of antituberculosis drugs.