Synthesis, characterization and preliminary antimicrobial study of some new phthalimide phenyl hydrazide derivatives

Abstract

Background: The synthesis and antibacterial efficacy of phthalimide Schiff bases derivatives (3a-f) derived from phthalic anhydride were investigated. The aim of this study was to assess the antibacterial activity of the synthesized Schiff bases against five different types of microbes in vitro. Methods: The Schiff bases were synthesized by reacting various aldehydes with the hydrazine of phthalimidobenzoic acid. The compounds were identified using FTIR and 1HNMR spectroscopy studies, and their antibacterial efficacy against four bacterial species (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyrogens, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and one fungal species (Candida albicans) was assessed in vitro using a 100 µg/mL concentration of derivatives in dimethyl sulfoxide. Results: The antimicrobial activity of each compound towards the isolates was variable. Most of the compounds exhibited a slight inhibition rate towards Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, particularly S. aureus, which was shown to be highly resistant to all derivatives used. However, there was moderate to high killing activity towards S. pyogenes. Conclusions: The synthesized phthalimide Schiff bases derivatives exhibited variable antibacterial activity against the tested microbes. The results suggest that further studies are required to optimize the efficacy of these compounds against harmful microorganisms.