Qualitative anti-tubercular activity of synthetic ethyl 7-acetyl2-substituted-3-(4-substituted benzoyl) indolizine-1-carboxylate analogues

Both the emergence of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) are currently the majorchallenges in the treatment of TB. Only delamanid and bedaquiline have been recently approved as anti-TB drugs inthe past 40 years. In an attempt to search for active anti-TB compounds against the sensitive strain of Mycobacteriumtuberculosis, H37Rv—a series of synthetic ethyl 7-acetyl-2-substituted-3-(4-substituted benzoyl)indolizine-1-carboxylates (2a–r)—have been screened for in vitro qualitative anti-TB activity using an agar dilution method. Itwas found that compounds 2a, 2b, 2c, 2f, 2g, 2i, 2j, 2l, 2o, 2p, and 2r, which have various functional groups on theindolizine nucleus, were active against the H37Rv strain.