Trifluoromethylcontaining sulfanilamides. I. Synthesis and in vitro antibacterial activity

Abstract

In a wider research directed to improve pharmacological profiles of known antiinfective agents by introducing fluorine or trifluoromethyl groups, some sulfanilamides trifluoromethylsubstituted on N1 ring, were synthesized and examined for their in vitro activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Two N1-trifluoromethylphenyl-sulfanilamides, 1 and 4, exhibited MIC values, against all tested bacteria, similar or lower than those of the 'classical' sulfanilamides, assayed in comparison. The new sulfanilamide 4 appears to be the more interesting: in fact, the presence of p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) in culture medium did not influence its MIC values and no synergy was observed with trimethoprim, suggesting mechanism of action different from that of known sulfanilamides.