Synthesis and biological evaluation of 7-substituted cycloberberine derivatives as potent antibacterial agents against MRSA

Abstract A series of new 7-substituted cycloberberine (CBBR) derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their antibacterial activities against Gram-positive pathogens, taking CBBR as the lead. The SAR revealed that the introduction of a substituent at the C7 position resulted in a potency against both the reference Gram-positive bacteria and MDR clinical isolates, much higher than that of CBBR. Compound 1f with a 7-phenyl group exhibited higher activities against MRSA and VRE than that of vancomycin, with MIC values of 1–8 μg/mL. Its rapid bactericidal action against MRSA was further confirmed in time-kill study. The preliminary mechanism study indicated that 1f might target bacterial DNA Topo IV ParE subunit, indicating a mode of action distinct from the currently used antibacterial drugs such as quinolones. These results supplemented and enriched the SAR of its kind, and provided powerful information for developing these compounds into a novel class of antibacterial candidates against MRSA.