Abstract
Disulfides 1-30 have been synthesized and their in vitro leishmanicidal activity has been evaluated. Compounds 18 (IC50 = 2.70 +/- 0.044 mu M), 19 (IC50 = 2.85 +/- 0.02 mu M), 20 (IC50 = 2.92 +/- 0.01 mu M), 26 (IC50 = 3.69 +/- 0.01 mu M), 21 (IC50 = 4.45 +/- 0.029 mu M), and 29 (IC50 = 4.46 +/- 0.025 mu M) showed a remarkable leishmanicidal activity if compared with standard pentamidine (IC50 = 5.09 +/- 0.04 mu M). This study has discovered a series of possible molecules as antileishmanial agents. A structure-activity relationship study has also been carried out. The structures of all the synthesized compounds were identified by using spectroscopic techniques, including H-1-NMR and EI MS.