Study of the effects of nitroquinoline derivatives on Neisseria gonorrhoeae causative agent of the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), sexually transmitted disease (STD) gonorrhea is now a global public health challenge due to failure of current treatment. Therefore, it is very important to develop new agents against drug-resistant N. gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of gonorrhea infection.The aim of the presented research was to identify active compounds against STD causing bacteria N. gonorrhoeae, and to investigate their modes of actions. Alamar blue assay was used to evaluate the antibacterial activity. Compound-induced alterations were investigated by atomic force and scanning electron microscopies. Cytotoxicity of compounds were also evaluated in blood media. MICs of Nitroquinoline derivatives 5 and 8 were 302.8 and 193.23 µM (54.99, and 49.99 µg/mL, respectively), lower than the MIC of the first line of standard drugs, ceftriaxone 450.79 ± 1.8 (249.99 µg/mL). Nitroquinoline derivatives 5 and 8 were found to be more potent than currently used antibiotics, and thus identified for further investigation.