Broad spectrum antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and peripheral analgesic activities of heteroaryl nitazoxanide analogs

Abstract

Background The antiparasitic drug nitazoxanide possesses diverse biological activity. However, very few investigation was accomplished with nitazoxanide analogs. Therefore, herein we focused on the screening of bioactivities using some nitazoxanide-like synthesized molecules. Objectives Four heteroaryl nitazoxanide analogs synthesized in our laboratory were investigated for antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activity. Materials and methods Disc diffusion method was used for assessing antimicrobial potency against several Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and fungi. Carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model was performed to evaluate anti-inflammatory activity. The analgesic property was evaluated using the acetic acid-induced writing inhibition method in the mice model. Molecular docking simulations against cyclooxygenase-1, cyclooxygenase-2, phospholipase A2, NF-κB inducing kinase, and interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 were also performed. Results and conclusion All the synthesized compounds exhibited broad spectrum antimicrobial property against a number of Gram-positive, Gram-negative species and unicellular fungi. Compound 4 or N-(5-nitrothiazol-2-yl)-furan-3-carboxamide emerged as the most prominent antimicrobial agent exhibiting zone of inhibition ranging in 14–22 mm. These zone diameters are sometimes greater than that displayed by nitazoxanide. Compounds 2 and 3 also showed remarkable broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity with a zone of inhibition 10–20 mm and 12–20 mm, respectively. Compound 4 also displayed potential anti-inflammatory activity which is comparable to standard aceclofenac. Compound 4 also showed mild analgesic effects. The compounds also exhibited moderate binding affinities against the selected target receptors and enzymes during in silico molecular docking. Heteroaryl nitazoxanide analogs showed prominent broad-spectrum antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and mild analgesic properties. This study indicates that heteroaryl nitazoxanide analogs might be interesting candidates for new drug discovery.