Twelve hybrids derived from triclosan were obtained via Williamson etherification of O-triclosan alkyl bromide plus chalcone and O-coumarin or O-chromone alkyl bromide plus triclosan, respectively. Structures of the products were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for antileishmanial activity against L. (V) panamensis amastigotes. Cytotoxic activity was also evaluated against mammalian U-937 cells. Compounds 7-9 and 17, were active against Leishmania parasites (EC 50 = 9.4; 10.2; 13.5 and 27.5 µg/mL, respectively) and showed no toxicity toward mammalian cells (>200 µg/mL). They are potential candidates for antileishmanial drug development. Compounds 25-27, were active and cytotoxic. Further studies using OPEN ACCESSMolecules 2014, 19 13252 other cell types are needed in order to discriminate whether the toxicity shown by these compounds is against tumor or non-tumor cells. The results indicate that compounds containing small alkyl chains show better selectivity indices. Moreover, Michael acceptor moieties may modify both the leishmanicidal activity and cytotoxicity. Further studies are required to evaluate if the in vitro activity against Leishmania panamensis demonstrated here is also observed in vivo.

The synthesis and biological activities (cytotoxicity, leishmanicidal, and trypanocidal) of 11 triclosan-hydrazone hybrids are described herein. The structure of the products was elucidated by spectral data (NMR, IR) and mass spectrometric analyses. The synthesized compounds were evaluated against amastigotes forms of L. (V) panamensis, which is the most prevalent Leishmania species in Colombia, and against Trypanosoma cruzi, which is the major pathogenic species to Chagas disease in humans. In addition, the cytotoxic activity of the synthesized compounds was evaluated against human U-937 macrophages. Hydrazone hybrids were obtained as Esynperiplanar and E-antiperiplanar conformers. Nine of them were active against L. (V) panamensis (5a-5d, 5f-5j) and eight of them against T. cruzi (5a, 5c, 5d, 5f-5j), with EC 50 values lower than 40 µM. The compounds 5c, 5e, and 5h exhibit the best selectivity index against both L. (V) panamensis and T. cruzi, with values ranging from 5.90 to 16.55, thus showing potential as starting compounds for the eventual development of drugs against these parasites. The presence of hydroxy or methoxy groups in positions 2 and 4 of the aromatic ring of the benzylidene moiety increases both activity and cytotoxicity. There is no clear relationship between the antiprotozoal activity and the methylation pattern of the hydroxy groups, since in some cases methylation decreases the activity (5d vs. 5g) while in other cases the activity is increased (5c vs. 5f and 5i vs. 5j).