An in-depth study of the antimicrobial spectrum activity of a number of new phosphonium derivatives of naphthalene

Abstract

An intensive use of antibiotics and antiseptics is a part of modern principles of treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Excessive and uncontrolled use leads to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of microorganisms, which necessitates the search for new antimicrobial alternatives. The study of phosphonium derivatives of naphthalene is one of the promising directions for the detection of new highly active antimicrobial agents. Objective – to determine the antimicrobial effect of phosphonium derivatives of naphthalene on the extended spectrum of archival test strains. Materials and methods. The phosphonium derivatives of naphthalene were investigated. For a detailed study of their antibacterial and antifungal activity, 14 test-cultures of archival strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria belonging to different taxonomic groups and yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida were selected. Experiments for the biological activity of phosphonium derivatives of naphthalene determination were carried out by using a micromethod with disposable polystyrene plates and Takatsy microtitrator. Result. Phosphonium derivatives of naphthalene showed high antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive microorganisms and vegetative cells of spore-forming bacilli. Their minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus 209, M. luteus ATCC 3941) ranged from 0.97 mcg/ml to 3.90 mcg/ml, and for vegetative cells of spore-forming bacilli (B. cereus ATCC 10 702) was 3.90 mcg/ml. They showed a slightly lower antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative strains of microorganisms (MIC ranged from 31.2 mcg/ml to 250.0 mcg/ml). The tested compounds showed a moderate antifungal activity against C. utilis LIA-01 (MIC ranged from 31.2 mcg/ml to 62.5 mcg/ml). Conclusions. It has been established that investigated phosphonium derivatives of naphthalene revealed high biological activity against Gram-positive microorganisms. Both studied compounds showed moderate antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative microorganisms and yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida.

Keywords

• phosphonium salts
• antimicrobial activity
• naphtalenes
• antibacterial agents