Benzimidazole compounds: As Antimicrobial Agents

Abstract

Heterocyclic compounds exhibited remarkable pharmacological activities. Literature indicates that compounds of pyrimidine, pyridine, benzimidazole nucleus have wide range of therapeutic uses such as antitubercular, anticancer, antihelmintic, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. It is also believed that the presence of >N-C=S linkage is responsible for the amoebicidal, anticonvulsant, fungicidal and antiviral activities. In this direction, the work is being pursued to investigate the antimicrobial activity of some heterocyclic compounds prepared in our laboratory. Various benzimidazole derivatives of o-phenylene diamine , 4,5-dimethyl-1,2-phenylene diamine , 4-chloro-1,2-phenylenediamine (IVa,b,c respectively), S-methylated o-phenylene diamine , S-methylated 4,5-dimethyl-1,2-phenylene diamine , S-methylated 4-chloro-1,2-phenylenediamine (Va,b,c respectively) have been synthesized. All the synthesized derivatives have been screened with various bacterial and fungal strains viz. Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonaie., Penicillium chrysogenum, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus japanicus, Microsporum gypseum. After the antimicrobial studies, it were found that Compound (IVb, Vb, Vc) showed excellent activity against the becterial strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and compound (IVa, Va) showed very good activity against the fungal strain of Aspergillus niger and compound (Vb) also showed excellent activity against the fungal strain of Aspergillus japanicus as these derivatives showed more inhibition zone than the standard drug Amoxycillin and Ketoconazole respectively. Thus these compounds can be used as a standard drug having less side effects.