A series of eighteen novel esters of salicylanilides with benzenesulfonic acid were designed, synthesized and characterized by IR, H-1-NMR and C-13-NMR. They were evaluated in vitro as potential antimycobacterial agents towards Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium avium and two strains of Mycobacterium kansasii.
In general, the minimum inhibitory concentrations range from 1 to 500 mu mol/L. The most active compound against M. tuberculosis was 4-chloro-2-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenylcarbamoyl)-phenyl benzenesulfonate, with MIC of 1 mu mol/L and towards M. kansasii its isomer 5-chloro-2-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenylcarbamoyl)phenyl benzenesulfonate (MIC of 2-4 mu mol/L).
M. avium was the less susceptible strain. However, generally, salicylanilide benzenesulfonates did not surpass the activity of other salicylanilide esters with carboxylic acids.