The synthesis and antistaphylococcal activity of dehydroabietic acid derivatives: modifications at C12 and C7

Abstract A series of 7- N -acylaminoethyl/propyloxime derivatives of dehydroabietic acid were synthesized and investigated for their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus Newman strain and multidrug-resistant strains (NRS-1, NRS-70, NRS-100, NRS-108 and NRS-271). Most of the target compounds having trifluoromethyl phenyl/benzyl, halogen-substituted thiophenyl, benzothiophenyl or pyrrolyl moiety exhibited potent in vitro antibacterial activity. Among which, compounds 4m , 4x and 7j showed high antibacterial activity with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 1.25–3.13 μg/mL against five multidrug-resistant S. aureus .