Conclusions
As the correlation between the MIC and the half-inhibitory enzymatic concentration was not particularly strong, there is a credible possibility that these compounds have pleiotropic mechanism(s) of action in M. tuberculosis.
Methods
Biomimetic Pictet-Spengler or Bischler-Napieralski synthetic routes were employed followed by an evaluation of the biological activity of the synthesized compounds.
Results
In this work, the synthesized tetrahydroisoquinolines were found to inhibit the growth of M. tuberculosis H37Rv and affect its whole-cell phenotype as well as the activity of the ATP-dependent MurE ligase, a key enzyme involved in the early stage of cell wall peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Conclusions: As the correlation between the MIC and the half-inhibitory enzymatic concentration was not particularly strong, there is a credible possibility that these compounds have pleiotropic mechanism(s) of action in M. tuberculosis.