Targeting the bacterial membrane with a new polycyclic privileged structure: a powerful tool to face Staphylococcus aureus infections

In this paper, a small series of anthracene-maleimide-based compounds was prepared and evaluated to assess the antimicrobial potential of this polycyclic core, a scaffold previously unexplored for new antibiotic development. Some of the new compounds showed appreciable anti-Staphylococcus aureus activity, together with good safety profiles. In particular, compound 13 proved to be the most promising of the series, showing remarkable antimicrobial activity toward planktonic and sessile bacterial cells within a mature preformed biofilm. The mechanism of action seems to be related to the ability of this compound to interfere with bacterial membrane functionality, probably through the targeting of key enzymes responsible for membrane redox homeostasis and energy production. The data reported confirm the ability of this polycyclic nucleus to behave as a new “privileged structure”, suitable to be further exploited in the antimicrobial field.