Synthesis and antifungal property of N-(aryl) and quaternary N-(aryl) chitosan derivatives against Botrytis cinerea

A series of N-(aryl) and their quaternary N-(aryl) chitosan derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their antifungal activity against crop-threatening fungus Botrytis cinerea. Schiff bases were firstly synthesized by the reaction of chitosan with cinnamaldehyde, cuminaldehyde and 4-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde followed by reduction with sodium borohydride to form N-(aryl) chitosans. Quaternary N-(aryl) chitosans were then obtained by reaction of N-(aryl) chitosan compounds with ethyl iodide. The chemical structures were characterized by ¹H-NMR, FT-IR and UV spectroscopic techniques. The antifungal activity was evaluated in vitro against B. cinerea by mycelial growth inhibition method and in vivo by application of compounds to tomato plants prior to inoculation with fungal spores. In an in vitro experiment, all quaternized chitosans were more active than N-(aryl) chitosan derivatives and N,N,N-(diethylcinnamyl) chitosan (QC1) was the most potent (EC₅₀ = 1,147 mg/L) against mecelia however, N,N,N-(diethyl-p-dimethylaminobenzyl) chitosan (QC3) was the most potent (EC₅₀ = 334 mg/L) against spores. In an in vivo study, no disease incidence (0.0 %) was observed with QC1 and QC3 at 1,000 mg/L. Spray liquid chitosan enhanced total phenolics and guaiacol peroxidase in inoculated leaves.     

Acyl derivatives of 5-amino-2-azabicyclo[3.2.2]nonanes

5-Amino-2-azabicyclo[3.2.2]nonanes possess activity against the causative organisms of Human African trypanosomiasis and Malaria tropica. Their newly prepared N-acyl derivatives were inactive against Trypanosoma b. rhodesiense, but some of them showed good antiplasmodial activity against a multiresistant strain of Plasmodium falciparum. The results are compared to the activities of the N-unsubstituted compounds and N-sulfonyl analogues. The diastereomeric character of the formed amides was elucidated by NMR spectroscopy.     

Antibacterial activity of methylated chitosan and chitooligomer derivatives: Synthesis and structure activity relationships

The purpose of this study was to synthesize series of methylated chitosaccharide derivatives, possessing various degree of methylation, and to determine their structure activity relationship (SAR) with regard to their antibacterial effect against Staphylococcus aureus. Chitosan polymer and chitooligomers were used as starting materials and were methylated by reaction with methyl iodide. Depending on the reaction conditions the degree of N-quaternization ranged from 0% to 74%, with varying degree of N,N-dimethylation, N-monomethylation and O-methylation. More selective N-quaternization could be obtained with protection group strategy. At pH 5.5 the chitosaccharide polymers and their methylated derivatives were active against S. aureus with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 16 to 512 μg/mL. At pH 7.2 the non-quaternized derivatives were inactive but their highly N-quaternized derivatives showed MIC as low as 8 μg/mL. The chitooligomers, as well as their derivatives, were inactive at both pH’s. The SAR studies revealed that N-quaternization was mainly responsible for the antibacterial effects at pH 7.2, whereas it did not contribute to the antibacterial activity under acidic conditions.     

Synthesis,characterization and study of antibacterial activity of enaminone complexes of zinc and iron

Complexes of enaminones; 4-N,N-diethylamine-pent-3-ene-2-one [HL¹], 4-N,N-di n-propylamine-pent-3-ene-2-one [HL²] and 4-N,N-dicyclohexylamine-pent-3-ene-2-one [HL³] with Fe(II) and Zn(II) ions were prepared by reacting the equimolar ethanolic solutions of the ligands (HL¹, HL² and HL³) with ethanolic metal solutions. The complexes formed, were characterized by infrared, ultraviolet and atomic absorption spectroscopy. Ligands and their metal complexes were tested against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria to assess their antibacterial action using disc diffusion method. Ligands were completely inactive against bacteria whereas the complex Zn (HL¹) has significant action on both bacteria, indicating that it has a good potential as bactericide. Other complexes have normal antiseptic character.     

Antibacterial activity of N-quaternary chitosan derivatives: Synthesis, characterization and structure activity relationship (SAR) investigations

Quaternary N-(2-(N,N,N-tri-alkyl ammoniumyl and 2-pyridiniumyl) acetyl) derivatives of chitosan polymer, chitooligomer, and glucosamine (monomer) were synthesized for the purpose of investigating the structure activity relationship (SAR) for the antibacterial effect. Novel methods were used in the synthesis. The final chitosan and chitooligomer derivatives could thus be obtained in two steps without prior protection of the hydroxyl groups. However, in order to obtain chitosan derivatives with the bulky N,N-dimethyl-N-dodecyl- and N,N-dimethyl-N-butyl side chains three steps were needed, starting from 3,6-O-di-tert-butyldimethylsilyl chitosan (3,6-O-di-TBDMS chitosan) as the key intermediate. The quaternary ammoniumyl acetyl derivatives of glucosamine were synthesized from glucosamine or tetra-O-acetylglucosamine. N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC) was used as reference compound for investigation of antibacterial activity. Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) protocols were used to determine MIC and MLC for activity against clinically important Gram-positive strains Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), and S. aureus (MRSA) (ATCC 43300), and Gram-negative strains of Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), P. aeriginosa (ATCC 27853) and Enterococcus facialis (ATCC 29212). The MIC values for the compounds ranged from 8 to ?8192 mg/L. In general the N-(2-(N,N-dimethyl-N-dodecyl ammoniumyl) acetyl) derivatives of chitooligomer and glucosamine monomer were more active against bacteria than derivatives with shorter alkyl chains. In contrast the N-(2-(N,N-dimethyl-N-dodecyl ammoniumyl) acetyl) derivatives of chitosan were less active than derivatives with N-(2-N,N,N-trimetylammoniumyl) acetyl or N-(2-(N-pyridiniumyl) acetyl) quaternary moiety. N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC) was the most active compound in this study.     

Synthesis,characterization, anticancer activity,thermal and electrochemical studies of some novel uranyl Schiff base complexes

Some tetradentate N₂O₂ Schiff base ligands, such as N,N′-bis(naphtalidene)-1,2-phenylenediamine, N,N′-bis(naphtalidene)-4-methyl-1,2-phenylenediamine, N,N′-bis(naphtalidene)-4-chloro-1,2-phenylenediamine, N,N′-bis(naphtalidene)-4-nitro-1,2-phenylenediamine, N,N′-bis(naphtalidene)-4-carboxyl-1,2-phenylenediamine, and their uranyl complexes were synthesized and characterized by ¹H NMR, IR, UV–Vis spectroscopy, TG (thermogravimetry), and elemental analysis (C.H.N.). Thermogravimetric analysis shows that uranyl complexes have very different thermal stabilities. This method is used also to establish that only one solvent molecule is coordinated to the central uranium ion and this solvent molecule does not coordinate strongly and is removed easier than the tetradentate ligand and also trans oxides. The electrochemical properties of the uranyl complexes were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. Electrochemistry of these complexes showed a quasireversible redox reaction without any successive reactions. Also, the kinetic parameters of thermal decomposition were calculated using Coats–Redfern equation. According to Coats–Redfern plots the kinetics of thermal decomposition of the studied complexes is first-order in all stages. Anticancer activity of the uranyl Schiff base complexes against cancer cell lines (Jurkat) was studied and determined by MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide) assay.     

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of methylated N-(4-N,N-dimethylaminocinnamyl) chitosan chloride

The methylated chitosan containing different aromatic moieties were synthesized by two steps, the reductive amination and the methylation. The chemical structures of all methylated derivatives, methylated N-(4-N,N-dimethylaminocinnamyl) chitosan chloride (MDMCMCh), methylated N-(4-pyridylmethyl) chitosan chloride (MPyMeCh), and N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan chloride (TMChC) were characterized by ATR-FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The molecular weights of the methylated chitosan derivatives were determined by gel permeation chromatography. The results revealed that the molecular weights of chitosan and N-aryl chitosan derivatives could be reduced by the methylation process. The degree of N-substitution (DS) and the degree of quaternization (DQ) were calculated by ¹H NMR ranged from 50% to 76%, and 28% to 82%, respectively. The water solubility of the methylated chitosan derivatives decreased with increasing concentration and pH. The antibacterial studies of these methylated chitosan derivatives were carried out by using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) methods against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 (Gram-positive) bacteria. It was found that the MDMCMCh showed higher antibacterial activity than TMChC while MPyMeCh exhibited reduced antibacterial activity against both bacteria at the same DQ level. In comparison to each of the chemical structure, it was found that the antibacterial activity was not only dependent on the DQ but it was also dependent on the positively charged location and the molecular weight.     

Antimicrobial,Cytotoxic and Mutagenic Activity of Gemini QAS Derivatives of 1,4:3,6-Dianhydro-l-iditol

A series of quaternary diammonium salts derivatives of 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-l-iditol were synthesized, using isommanide (1,4:3,6-dianhydro-d-mannitol) as a starting material. Both aromatic (pyridine, 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP), (3-carboxamide)pyridine; N-methylimidazole) and aliphatic (trimethylamine, N,N-dimethylhexylamine, N,N-dimethyloctylamine, N,N-dimethyldecylamine) amines were used, giving eight gemini quaternary ammonium salts (QAS). All salts were tested for their antimicrobial activity against yeasts, Candida albicans and Candida glabrata, as well as bacterial Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli reference strains. Moreover, antibacterial activity against 20 isolates of S. aureus collected from patients with skin and soft tissue infections (n = 8) and strains derived from subclinical bovine mastitis milk samples (n = 12) were evaluated. Two QAS with octyl and decyl residues exhibited antimicrobial activity, whereas those with two decyl residues proved to be the most active against the tested pathogens, with MIC of 16–32, 32, and 8 µg/mL for yeast, E. coli, and S. aureus reference and clinical strains, respectively. Only QAS with decyl residues proved to be cytotoxic in MTT assay against human keratinocytes (HaCaT), IC₅₀ 12.8 ± 1.2 μg/mL. Ames test was used to assess the mutagenic potential of QAS, and none of them showed mutagenic activity in the concentration range 4–2000 µg/plate.     

The Antifungal Action Mode of N-Phenacyldibromobenzimidazoles

Our study aimed to characterise the action mode of N-phenacyldibromobenzimidazoles against C. albicans and C. neoformans. Firstly, we selected the non-cytotoxic most active benzimidazoles based on the structure–activity relationships showing that the group of 5,6-dibromobenzimidazole derivatives are less active against C. albicans vs. 4,6-dibromobenzimidazole analogues (5e–f and 5h). The substitution of chlorine atoms to the benzene ring of the N-phenacyl substituent extended the anti-C. albicans action (5e with 2,4-Cl₂ or 5f with 3,4-Cl₂). The excellent results for N-phenacyldibromobenzimidazole 5h against the C. albicans reference and clinical isolate showed IC₅₀ = 8 µg/mL and %I = 100 ± 3, respectively. Compound 5h was fungicidal against the C. neoformans isolate. Compound 5h at 160–4 µg/mL caused irreversible damage of the fungal cell membrane and accidental cell death (ACD). We reported on chitinolytic activity of 5h, in accordance with the patterns observed for the following substrates: 4-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminide and 4-nitrophenyl-β-d-N,N′,N″-triacetylchitothiose. Derivative 5h at 16 µg/mL: (1) it affected cell wall by inducing β-d-glucanase, (2) it caused morphological distortions and (3) osmotic instability in the C. albicans biofilm-treated. Compound 5h exerted Candida-dependent inhibition of virulence factors.     

In vitro assessment of N-(benzyl)chitosan derivatives against some plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi

Plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi negatively affect a large number of important fruit and vegetables during the growing season and throughout postharvest storage. Therefore, the current study focuses on the preparation of N-(benzyl)chitosan derivatives as antimicrobial agents to control these microorganisms. Chitosan was reacted with a set of aromatic aldehydes by reductive amination involving formation of the corresponding imines, followed by reduction with sodium borohydride to produce the N-(benzyl)chitosan derivatives. The end products were analyzed using ¹H NMR spectroscopy and the degrees of substitution ranged from 0.12 to 0.29. The antibacterial activity was evaluated in vitro against the crown gall disease Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Family: Rhizobiaceae; Class: Alpha Proteobacteria) and the soft mold disease Erwinia carotovora (Family: Enterobacteriaceae; Class: Gamma Proteobacteria) by the nutrient agar dilution method. A higher activity of chitosan and its derivatives was obtained with N-(o-ethylbenzyl)chitosan with a MIC of 500 mg/L against E. carotovora, while N-(o,p-diethoxybenzyl)chitosan was the most active one against A. tumefaciens with a MIC of 1050 mg/L. In addition, the in vitro antifungal assessment against root rot disease Fusarium oxysporum (Family: Tuberculariaceae; Class: Deuteromycetes) and the leaf spots and blights disease Pythium debaryanum (Family: Pythiaceae; Class: Oomycetes) was tested by a mycelial radial growth technique. The data showed that N-(o,p-diethoxybenzyl)chitosan was the most active one with an EC₅₀ of 400 and 468 mg/L for F. oxysporum and P. debaryanum, respectively. In addition, chitosan derivatives had a detrimental effect on spore germination for F. oxysporum. Most of these derivatives exhibited high inhibition percentage (>90%) of spore germination at 1000 mg/L.     

Electronic properties of isolated GaNAsM clusters: photoionization-, photodissociation- and photoluminescence quantum yields

Photoionization quantum yields of Ga_NAs_M clusters with N + M = 85 ± 5 atoms in the spectral range of ω = 3.5–6.4 eV have been investigated by measuring their total photoabsorption and photoionization cross sections. It is found that the photoionization quantum yields of these clusters are strongly increased by about two orders of magnitude against the values of bulk GaAs. Photodissociation of the cluster provides another efficient channel whereas photoluminescence plays a minor role for the observed cluster size distributions with N + M typically between 30 and 130 atoms.     

Design,synthesis, biological evaluation and in silico studies of N-(pyridin-2-yl)-benzamides derivatives as quorum sensing inhibitors

The emergence of bacterial resistance against chemical treatment is a big threat to the efficacy of bacterial infection treatment. One of the major reasons for resistance to antimicrobial agents is growth of microorganisms in biofilm. An alternative treatment by developing novel anti-biofilm agents had led to the concept of quorum sensing (QS) inhibition, which primarily targets QS signaling system by disrupting cell-cell communication. Therefore, this study focuses to develop novel antimicrobial agents which work by QS inhibition and act as anti-biofilm agents against Bacillus Subtilis and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa. In this work, a natural product-like scaffolds from Asinex library were screened and N-pyridin-2-yl-benzamide moiety was chosen to design and synthesize. Synthesized compounds were evaluated for potential anti-biofilm activity for the aforesaid microorganisms and also checked for cell viability assay, where two potent compounds 3a and 3c showed their static biofilm activity to ∼59% and ∼58% at 100 μM, respectively against Bacillus subtilis. These synthesized compounds were investigated for physicochemical parameters and binding mode prediction through molecular modelling tools. The interactions and stability of these compounds showed better affinity towards TasA and LasR proteins from Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively. Furthermore, molecular dynamic simulation for 100 ns was executed in order to appreciate the stability of the protein and ligand complex. The overall results promised that N-pyridin-2-yl-benzamide derivatives can be discovered as a lead in developing potent anti-quorum sensing agents against various bacteria.     

Synthesis,characterization and antimicrobial studies of mixed ligand silver(I) complexes of thioureas and triphenylphosphine; crystal structure of {[Ag(PPh3)(thiourea)(NO3)]2·[Ag(PPh3)(thiourea)]2(NO3)2}

Mixed ligand silver(I) complexes of triphenylphosphine and thioureas (thiourea (Tu), N-methylthiourea (Metu), N,N′-dimethylthiourea (Dmtu) and N,N′-diethylthiourea (Detu)) with the general formulae, [(Ph₃P)₂Ag(thione)]NO₃ and [(Ph₃P)Ag(thione)₂]NO₃, have been prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, IR and NMR (¹H, ¹³C and ³¹P) spectroscopic methods. The crystal structure of one of them has been determined by X-ray crystallography. The spectral data of the complexes are consistent with sulfur coordination of the thiones to silver(I). The single crystal X-ray structure of complex 1, {[Ag(PPh₃)(thiourea)(NO₃)]₂·[Ag(PPh₃)(thiourea)]₂(NO₃)₂}, shows that the complex consists of two independent centrosymmetric binuclear units, each having the silver atoms coordinated to one PPh₃ and two bridging thiourea molecules. In one of the independent units the silver atom is additionally bound to a nitrate ion, leading to a tetrahedral geometry, while in the other unit the silver atom adopts a trigonal planar environment. Antimicrobial activities of the complexes were evaluated by their minimum inhibitory concentration and the results showed that the complexes show a wide range of activity against two gram-negative bacteria (Escherichiacoli, Pseudomonasaeruginosa) and molds (Aspergillusniger, Penicilliumcitrinum), while the activities were poor against yeasts (Candidaalbicans, Saccharomycescerevisiae). However, the title complex did not show activity against any tested microorganism.     

Coulomb explosion of charged jellium clusters

The Density Functional Formalism is used to calculate the minimum number of atoms (N _c ) a multiply charged jellium-like spherical cluster must contain to be stable against coulomb explosion into two smaller fragments. In the case of alkaline clusters, which are systems for which the jellium model can be applied, we findN _c equal to 31 and 23 for the explosion of Na _N ²⁺ and Cs _N ²⁺ respectively, in good agreement with the experimental value ofN _c = 18 for Cs _N ²⁺ . Calculated critical numbers for triply and tetracharged Cs clusters are 108 and 323 respectively. In addition the model predicts that the most favourable fragmentation channel is the ejection of a singly charged monomer.     

Magnesium-selective test strip

A selective test strip based on an ion-exchange mechanism to determine magnesium is described. This optical and reversible test strip, made on a transparent polyester sheet, has a circular polymeric film of plasticised PVC that contains all of the reagents necessary to produce a response to magnesium, namely, a cation-selective neutral ionophore, 2-amino-N,N′-diheptyl-N,N′-dimethyl-butanediamide, a chromoionophore, N,N-diethyl-5-(octadecanoylimino)-5H-benzo[a]phenoxazine-9-amine, and potassium tetrakis (4-chlorophenyl)borate (TCPB) as a lipophilic salt, which is evaluated by absorbance measurement at 655 nm in a standard photometer. The experimental variables that influence test strip response, especially in terms of selectivity and response time, have been studied. The test strip responded linearly to magnesium between 0.009 and 160 mM in activities. The reproducibility intermembrane at a medium level of the range was 8.0%, as R.S.D., of log aMg2+, and 5.9% as R.S.D. intramembrane. The procedure was applied to the determination of magnesium in different types of waters (tap, well and mineral) validating the results against a reference procedure. This proposed method is quick, inexpensive, selective and sensitive and uses only conventional instrumentation.     

A novel synthesis of (−)-callicarpenal

Callicarpenal, isolated from the leaves of American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) and Japanese beautyberry (Callicarpa japonica), exhibits significant mosquito bite-deterring activity and repellent activity against ticks and fire ants. The mosquito bite-deterring activity level of callicarpenal was reported to be similar to that of N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide. The novel synthesis of (?)-callicarpenal reported herein was accomplished by starting from (+)-pulegone. In our original approach, a novel Prins-type cyclization based on Meyer–Schuster rearrangement was featured as a key step.     

Biological responses to silicon and nitrogen-rich PVD silicon nitride coatings

Most structural bioceramics are comprised of metallic oxides such as alumina and zirconia. They are generally considered to be completely bioinert, but a non-oxide ceramic, silicon nitride, achieves equivalent levels of mechanical reliability while being bioactive. Silicon nitride can not only stimulate cellular proliferation but it is also antipathogenic with demonstrated efficacy against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, and viruses. In this work, three physical vapor deposition coatings with different Si:N ratios (silicon-rich, stoichiometric, and nitrogen-rich) were deposited on mirror-polished silica glass substrates. The coatings were characterized by spectroscopic and microscopic techniques and tested in vitro against E. coli and KUSA-A1 mesenchymal cells. Results showed that nitrogen-enriched Si_xN_y has a strong antibacterial effect against E. coli and contributes to cellular proliferation while silicon-enriched Si_xN_y stimulates the production of bone tissue, with higher indexes for mineralization and quality. These results suggest that Si_xN_y's biological properties can be optimized for specific applications by carefully tuning its surface chemistry.     

Preparation of quaternarized N-halamine-grafted graphene oxide nanocomposites and synergetic antibacterial properties

At present, frequent outbreaks of bacteria and viruses have seriously affected people's normal lives. Therefore, the study of broad-spectrum antibacterial nanocomposites is very promising. However, most antibacterial materials have some disadvantages, such as single bactericidal mechanisms and unrepeatable use. Based on the current situation, a kind of nanocomposite with three structures of graphene oxide (GO), quaternary ammonium salt (QAs) and N-halamine was prepared, which showed synergistic effect to improve antibacterial activity and combined with a variety of sterilization mechanisms. Meanwhile, GO can provide richer ways of sterilization and high specific surface area, which is conducive to the grafting of quaternarized N-halamine. The advantages of physical sterilization of GO, charge adsorption of QAs, reuse of N-halamine and efficient sterilization are fully utilized. The results showed that the quaternarized N-halamine-grafted GO was obtained successfully. GO grafted with quaternarized N-halamine polymer showed strong speedy bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) (99%). It had good storage and regeneration properties.     

4-(1-Aryl-5-chloro-2-oxo-1,2-dihydro-indol-3-ylideneamino)-N-substituted benzene sulfonamides: Synthesis,antimicrobial, anticancer evaluation and QSAR studies

A series of 4-(1-aryl-5-chloro-2-oxo-1,2-dihydro-indol-3-ylideneamino)-N-substituted benzenesulfonamide derivatives (1–20) was synthesized and evaluated for its in vitro antimicrobial and anticancer activities. Antimicrobial results indicated that compounds N-(4-(1-benzoyl-5-chloro-2-oxoindolin-3-ylideneamino) phenylsulfonyl)-4-isopropoxy benzamide (9) and N-(4-(5-chloro-1-(2-chlorobenzoyl)-2-oxoindolin-3-ylideneamino) phenylsulfonyl)-4-isopropoxybenzamide (19) were found to be the most effective ones. The anticancer results indicated that almost all the synthesized compounds were more active than the standard drug carboplatin but less active than the standard drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) against both the cell lines (HCT116 and RAW 264.7). 4-(1-Benzoyl-5-chloro-2-oxoindolin-3-ylideneamino)-N-(pyrimidin-2-yl) benzenesulfonamide (3) was found to be most potent and exhibited selectivity toward HCT 116. QSAR studies indicated that antimicrobial activity of isatin derivatives against different microbial strains was governed by lipophilic parameter, log P and topological parameters valance zero and third order molecular connectivity indices (⁰χ^v and ³χ^v).     

Coordination to copper(II) strongly enhances the in vitro antimicrobial activity of pyridine-derived N(4)-tolyl thiosemicarbazones

Five copper(II) complexes with N(4)-ortho, N(4)-meta and N(4)-para-tolyl thiosemicarbazones derived from 2-formyl and 2-acetylpyridine were obtained and thoroughly characterized. The crystal structure of N(4)-meta-tolyl-2-acetylpyridine thiosemicarbazone (H2Ac4mT) was determined, as well as that of its copper(II) complex [Cu(2Ac4mT)Cl], which contains an anionic ligand and a chloride in the coordination sphere of the metal. The in vitro antimicrobial activities of all thiosemicarbazones and their copper(II) complexes were tested against Salmonella typhimurium and Candida albicans. Upon coordination a substantial decrease in the minimum inhibitory concentration, from 225 to 1478 μmol L⁻¹ for the thiosemicarbazones to 5–30 μmol L⁻¹ for the complexes was observe against the growth of Salmonella typhimurium and from 0.7–26 to 0.3–7 μmol L⁻¹ against the growth of C. albicans, suggesting that complexation to copper(II) could be an interesting strategy of dose reduction.