Abstract
Synthetic 1,3-bis(aryloxy)propan-2-amines have been shown in previous studies to possess several biological activities, such as antifungal and antiprotozoal. In the present study, we describe the antibacterial activity of new synthetic 1,3-bis(aryloxy)propan-2-amines against Gram-positive pathogens (Streptococcus pyogenes, Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus) including Methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains. Our compounds showed minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) in the range of 2.5-10 μg/ml (5.99-28.58 μM), against different bacterial strains. The minimal bactericidal concentrations found were similar to MIC, suggesting a bactericidal mechanism of action of these compounds. Furthermore, possible molecular targets were suggested by chemical similarity search followed by docking approaches. Our compounds are similar to known ligands targeting the cell division protein FtsZ, Quinolone resistance protein norA and the Enoyl-[acyl-carrier-protein] reductase FabI. Taken together, our data show that synthetic 1,3-bis(aryloxy)propan-2-amines are active against Gram-positive bacteria, including multidrug-resistant strains and can be a promising lead in the development of new antibacterial compounds for the treatment of these infections.